Liverpool & South West Lancashire FHS - Forum

On the night of 15/16 September 1940 the Fairfield area of Liverpool was heavily bombed.
At that time the BIRCH family were living at 81 Leopold Road. Tragically, Mrs Margaret Birch and her 4 daughters Elsie, Christina, Winifred and Irene, were all killed. Although I have searched, I have not been able to discover where they were buried. Any help in resolving this problem will be greatly appreciated. Thanking you in advance. Jim Sangster (925)

Hi Jim and welcome,
Sorry can't help with burial, according to UK, WW2 Civilian deaths, 4 September 1940.

For residents of Kensington/Fairfield I would suggest West Derby Cemetery or Anfield Cemetery. They don't appear to be buried at Toxteth or any of the RC cemeteries.


Blue

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Have you checked either Anfield or West Derby previously?

What religion were they so that the appropriate section of the cemetery can be checked?

What information do you have that this took place on 15/16 September as Bert's information was presumably from the newspaper of 4th?

If we can pin down the details I could try to do a couple of searches on Tuesday.

Bert's attachment is not from a newspaper but looks like the official register of Civilian War Dead of which a copy was in the Picton Library before the rebuild. I am almost 100% sure that most victims of the Blitz were buried at Anfield, although I know of some at Allerton. Google might help, but its late!

D

The recent Liverpool Blitz BBC programme showed Stan Boardman visiting his brother's grave at Kirkdale (they were Kirkdale residents). West Derby Cemetery would traditionally have been the cemetery covering where this family lived but Anfield's status as the city of Liverpool cemetery rather than a district cemetery make it also a possibility. Unless the family had a history of using another cemetery and then we could be looking for a third cemetery.


Blue

The attachment is from, UK WW11 Civilian Deaths 1939/45 available on Anc.
http://search.ancestry.co.uk/cgi-bin/ss ... w2&h=48092

Entering the date gives results of 16 deaths for Liverpool, my thoughts are these would not be part of a mass burial, more likely individual services. With the help of Google, Mass Blitz graves were after the May 1941 raids at Anfield and Bootle.

If they were individual services, would it be more likely a more personal obituary be found in the papers?

Husband and Father Charles burial and obituary may lead to the family.

When Jim replies he could list which searches he has done and so perhaps narrow down what is left to search.

Just to say welcome Jim. I was deeply saddened by the deaths of so many of your kin.
May they rest peacefully as they continue their journey.

Stan Boardman described a mass burial at Kirkdale as bodies being buried in a "trench" in that instance it would have been unmarked public graves. I think I remember looking into some blitz deaths and finding some of them buried at Ford RC.


Blue

Blue70 wrote: looking into some blitz deaths and finding some of them buried at Ford RC.

Yes which religion as well as which resources already searched would be useful.

C of E Section Anfield Cemetery
Margaret Elizabeth age 50, Elsie age 20, Christina age 17, Winifred age 13, Irene age 12 all of 81 Leopold Road all in
Purchased Grave Section 20 Grave No. 1620

Map of Anfield Sections here http://liverpool.gov.uk/media/13122/anf ... erymap.pdf

Another brilliant success. A very special "Thank You" to all who helped in the search and particularly to Mary A for identifying the location of the grave and for all the hard work she does in Moderating this fantastic site. Members of my family will be delighted with this news as it will give us an opportunity to visit the grave in order to pay our respects. Thank You all again and keep up you sterling work Jim (925)

Hi Jim,
I was so excited when I read your post, this is my family, they would have been my Grandmother and Aunties I have the deed for the grave. I haven't looked at my family history for a few years and at the time I was searching I couldn't find anyone else looking for the same family.
Besides the girls there were two sons, my father Charles Henry Birch and his brother George Walter Birch, I don't know how much you know about the family but the tragedy didn't stop with the Mother and daughters as George also died during the war, he was killed at Anzio beachhead and so at the end of the war there was only my father and his father Charles Birch Snr left.
How are you related? I'm looking forward to your reply.

Hi and welcome to the forum.

Jim is still a member of the Society and so of course a member of the forum, although not very active hopefully he will receive notification that you have left a message against his posting and come along to answer.

Thank you Mary, I hope Jim comes back on the site as I'd love to know how we're related. I think it must be from one of my father's uncles.

Hello Gwenda, Thank you for your post, and welcome to this exceptionally helpful and friendly site.
You and I are not directly related however, one of your cousins, John Hunt (born 13 July 1944) is married to my cousin, Elizabeth Ryan. (born 14 May 1940) We all attended a family gathering last year and John asked for help in finding the grave of the Birch family. With the help of our friends on this site I received an answer within a few days. I await your reply and I will be able to provide John's details if requested. Take care and happy hunting Jim (925)

Hi Jim, thanks for your reply and yes I'd love to get to know John. Dad never kept in touch with his Birch family after leaving Liverpool and so I know very little about them. I have researched the ancestry and got back as far as Susan Birch having an illegitimate child Charles the son of Charles Chaloner on 10th Sept 1791 and so, we should really have the surname Chaloner not Birch if he'd done the honourable thing and married her. Susan was the daughter of Thomas b1741 and he was the son of John.
I look forward to hearing from you.

I love a successful connection

Good evening Gwenda, I trust all is well in sunny Wales and that you are recovering after the fantastic efforts of your national football team. I have advised your cousin John about your interest in this matter and he would be delighted to make contact with you. Initially can you email me so that I can send you John's details. My Email address is m0jym139 [at] btinternet.com ( That is a zero after the m ) Regards Jim (925)

email address amended to prevent spamming, change the [at] to @ ato use. MA