Civilian casualty of the Great War, Gladys was killed, along with her mother during an air raid at Southend on Sunday 12th August 1917, at just after 5pm, when visitors and residents were leaving the beaches and taking the trains home. They lived at Lovelace Gardens where two bombs fell, one on Gladys' home and the other on an allotment.Gladys' crippled father, Robert Henry West, who was sitting at tea with them, was badly injured.
Of those killed, 15 were residents and 17 were visitors.
The casualty list was:
KILLED : Men, 10. Women, 13. Children, 9.
INJURED : Men, 13. Women, 18. Children, 12.
The haphazard way in which the bombs were dropped points to the fact that the enemy aircraft were making a hurried departure after being encountered by British aeroplanes to the north of the town.The raiders, who numbered nine, (some accounts state eleven)disappeared from view over the sea at a considerably greater height than when they were over the town.Two German aeroplanes were destroyed;one was a Gotha bomber and the other a seaplane. The raiders were evidently making for London,but on sighting the large number of RFC aeroplanes, which were sent up against them, they turned abruptly and made the best of their way out to sea again, dropping some bombs at Southend and unloading the rest when out at sea.The action of the anti-aircraft guns was of great assistance to the Royal Flying Corps fighter squadrons made up of 'Sopwith Pups' of the Royal Naval Air Service and B.E.12s of the RFC Home Defence Fighter Squadrons.
The German official report stated "One of our aviation squadrons yesterday attacked England. Bombs were dropped with visibly good results on the military works of Southend and Margate."
Deaths Sep 1917
WEST Elizabeth M 55 Rochford
4a 550
WEST Gladys 13 Rochford
4a 550
Of those killed, 15 were residents and 17 were visitors.
The casualty list was:
KILLED : Men, 10. Women, 13. Children, 9.
INJURED : Men, 13. Women, 18. Children, 12.
The haphazard way in which the bombs were dropped points to the fact that the enemy aircraft were making a hurried departure after being encountered by British aeroplanes to the north of the town.The raiders, who numbered nine, (some accounts state eleven)disappeared from view over the sea at a considerably greater height than when they were over the town.Two German aeroplanes were destroyed;one was a Gotha bomber and the other a seaplane. The raiders were evidently making for London,but on sighting the large number of RFC aeroplanes, which were sent up against them, they turned abruptly and made the best of their way out to sea again, dropping some bombs at Southend and unloading the rest when out at sea.The action of the anti-aircraft guns was of great assistance to the Royal Flying Corps fighter squadrons made up of 'Sopwith Pups' of the Royal Naval Air Service and B.E.12s of the RFC Home Defence Fighter Squadrons.
The German official report stated "One of our aviation squadrons yesterday attacked England. Bombs were dropped with visibly good results on the military works of Southend and Margate."
Deaths Sep 1917
WEST Elizabeth M 55 Rochford
4a 550
WEST Gladys 13 Rochford
4a 550
Civilian casualty of the Great War, Gladys was killed, along with her mother during an air raid at Southend on Sunday 12th August 1917, at just after 5pm, when visitors and residents were leaving the beaches and taking the trains home. They lived at Lovelace Gardens where two bombs fell, one on Gladys' home and the other on an allotment.Gladys' crippled father, Robert Henry West, who was sitting at tea with them, was badly injured.
Of those killed, 15 were residents and 17 were visitors.
The casualty list was:
KILLED : Men, 10. Women, 13. Children, 9.
INJURED : Men, 13. Women, 18. Children, 12.
The haphazard way in which the bombs were dropped points to the fact that the enemy aircraft were making a hurried departure after being encountered by British aeroplanes to the north of the town.The raiders, who numbered nine, (some accounts state eleven)disappeared from view over the sea at a considerably greater height than when they were over the town.Two German aeroplanes were destroyed;one was a Gotha bomber and the other a seaplane. The raiders were evidently making for London,but on sighting the large number of RFC aeroplanes, which were sent up against them, they turned abruptly and made the best of their way out to sea again, dropping some bombs at Southend and unloading the rest when out at sea.The action of the anti-aircraft guns was of great assistance to the Royal Flying Corps fighter squadrons made up of 'Sopwith Pups' of the Royal Naval Air Service and B.E.12s of the RFC Home Defence Fighter Squadrons.
The German official report stated "One of our aviation squadrons yesterday attacked England. Bombs were dropped with visibly good results on the military works of Southend and Margate."
Deaths Sep 1917
WEST Elizabeth M 55 Rochford
4a 550
WEST Gladys 13 Rochford
4a 550
Of those killed, 15 were residents and 17 were visitors.
The casualty list was:
KILLED : Men, 10. Women, 13. Children, 9.
INJURED : Men, 13. Women, 18. Children, 12.
The haphazard way in which the bombs were dropped points to the fact that the enemy aircraft were making a hurried departure after being encountered by British aeroplanes to the north of the town.The raiders, who numbered nine, (some accounts state eleven)disappeared from view over the sea at a considerably greater height than when they were over the town.Two German aeroplanes were destroyed;one was a Gotha bomber and the other a seaplane. The raiders were evidently making for London,but on sighting the large number of RFC aeroplanes, which were sent up against them, they turned abruptly and made the best of their way out to sea again, dropping some bombs at Southend and unloading the rest when out at sea.The action of the anti-aircraft guns was of great assistance to the Royal Flying Corps fighter squadrons made up of 'Sopwith Pups' of the Royal Naval Air Service and B.E.12s of the RFC Home Defence Fighter Squadrons.
The German official report stated "One of our aviation squadrons yesterday attacked England. Bombs were dropped with visibly good results on the military works of Southend and Margate."
Deaths Sep 1917
WEST Elizabeth M 55 Rochford
4a 550
WEST Gladys 13 Rochford
4a 550
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