SIXTY years ago a devastating period in Altrincham's history began - when it became one of the first areas in the North West to be pounded by German bombs.

Altrincham and the surrounding area was hit by 41 bombs and an incendiary during one night after the sirens sounded in the Altrincham area at 10.39pm on August 28.

One of the bombs hit two petrol storage containers in Broadheath containing 25,000 gallons of fuel - and the night was remembered as 'the petrol tank blaze'.

Among the houses wrecked were three in Byrom Street, Altrincham, that were directly hit. A child was rescued from the debris of one of the houses.

During that first raid, a house in King Street, Altrincham was wrecked, and two houses on Bold Street were severely damaged when a bomb dropped in the front garden. There were three casualties.

It was the first of many raids between August 1940 and October 1941 - during which the town suffered 137 casualties including 20 deaths.

Despite the grim toll of damage, the Altrincham and Hale Guardian recalled in October 1944 that the town "took it - and would have taken more."

Many of the bombs dropped on Altrincham were probably jettisoned by pilots unable to find their intended targets and many of these fell on farmland.

But others hit residential areas - over a 14 month period 70 houses were destroyed, 282 severely damaged and 1,192 slightly damaged.

Altrincham Railway Station was hit at 11.10pm on October 19, 1940 when a shell went through the footbridge roof and exploded. On the same night an unexploded shell fell in the garden of Woodlands Cottage, off Harrington Road, Altrincham.

The Christmas of 1940 was a devastating period. On Sunday, December 22 the alert lasted nearly 12 hours. The extensive damage caused that night included 10 houses damaged by a bomb on Woodhouse Lane East, Timperley. Another bomb fell at the rear of the house on Crofton Avenue, Timperley, and near a home on Sylvan Avenue, Timperley, where there were three casualties. Other incendiaries fell in the roadway and gardens at Sylvan Avenue. Dunham Park Lodge on Chester Road was demolished, while a bomb dropped on the Linotype Estate in Broadheath wrecked 20 houses. One person was hurt.

But far worse was to follow - the next day a bomb directly hit a house at the corner of Oakfield Street and Moss Lane, Altrincham. Three children and nine adults were killed.

Incidents on the same night included seven houses demolished in Park Road, Timperley. Fifty incendiaries were dropped around Dunham Mount, Dunham Road, causing a fire but there were no casualties. Bradbury Central school yard and playing fields were hit, as well as Bloomsbury Lane, Timperley, while a bomb dropped at Altrincham Cemetery, damaged headstones and slightly damaged the chapel.

In 1941 the area was hit less frequently, although there was a raid on January 9. A bomb fell on Manor Grange, Wicker Lane, Hale Barns, when one person was killed and others injured.

After May there was only one more bombing raid - but it was a costly one. On October 25 two parachute mines were dropped on Broadheath. One hit a confectionery works at the corner of Huxley Street and Wright Street. Houses and shops were severely damaged - and five men and three women were killed. The victims included a 71 year-old warden.

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