Hartlepool remembers the bombardment of the Hartlepools in annual commemoration service

More than 100 people lost their lives during the bombardment on December 16, 1914, and is a day the town commemorates every year.

On Saturday, December 16, 2023, members of the public watched as service men and women paraded from the Heugh Battery Museum, in Moor Terrace, to the Heugh Gardens Memorial, in Cliff Terrace.

The firing of a 25-pounder gun at 8.10am marked a one minute silence and the start of the ceremony, and was followed by members of the public planting small crosses bearing the names of the children and service men who died during the bombardment.

The museum’s longest-serving volunteer, Wally Stewart, honoured the names of each of these victims, and can be viewed at the Heugh Gardens Memorial.

Hartlepool’s Ceremonial Mayor, Shane Moore, director of the Heugh Battery Museum, Gemma Ptak, and Councillor Brian Cowie, of the Headland and Harbour Ward, were amongst those who laid a wreath in honour of those who lost their lives in 1914.

Speaking in an opening speech at the service, Diane Stephens, manager at the Heugh Battery Museum, said: “The Bombardment of the Hartlepools was a defining moment in our shared history.

"One that tested the mettle of our community and revealed the indomitable spirit that binds us together.

"It is important that we take this time to honour the memory of those who faced unimaginable challenges and, in doing so, exemplified courage and resilience.”