Nostalgia: Drafted in to help bomb blast cities

Friday, 30 July 2021 10:37

Police, fire crews and air raid patrol wardens were kept busy protecting Glossopdale during the Second World War, but the real feeling of suffering only hit home when they were drafted to Blitz-hit Manchester and Liverpool.

As we revealed last week, the High Peak escaped relatively safely from enemy aircraft. Around 1,000 incendiary bombs were dropped on high ground between Woodhead and Doctor’s Gate on the Snake Pass.

Around 25 bigger and more powerful ones, some exploding, others not going off, fell on Glossop itself, but damage was slight and no one was injured.

However in Manchester things were different and Glossop men were in the thick of the action.

The Chronicle reported that nine police officers from Glossop were drafted to Liverpool and every night, from May 5-13, dealt with a variety of incidents.

The Chronicle said: “None of the officers were injured, but several had very narrow escapes.”

Another report said: “Glossop Rescue Party took effective duty in Manchester when the city was bombed in December 1940, ten men left Glossop for Chapel-en-le-Frith Depot on December 23 and by midnight the party was on its way in convoy to Stockport and onto Ardwick.

“At about one o’clock the following morning they commenced to rescue people from rubble, then proceeding to other incidents and more rescues.

“This heartbreaking work went on all day until the men were relieved around six o’clock the following evening and arrived back in Glossop at 10pm.

“They rescued seven living persons and recovered 20 dead.”