How Hartlepool will remember Bombardment victims as annual service is cancelled

Hartlepool will still remember the victims of the most tragic day in its modern history following the cancellation of an annual service.
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Around 130 people died and hundreds more were wounded following the Bombardments of the Hartlepools, as the area was then known, on December 16, 1914, at the start of the First World War.

The exact number of fatalities is still unclear because casualties were dying from their injuries long after the attack by three German warships.

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The anniversary is usually marked by a poignant public service at the war memorial at Redheugh Gardens, on the Headland, organised by the nearby Heugh Battery Museum.

The aftermath of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools. Picture courtesy of Hartlepool Borough Council.The aftermath of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools. Picture courtesy of Hartlepool Borough Council.
The aftermath of the Bombardment of the Hartlepools. Picture courtesy of Hartlepool Borough Council.

This year, however, the museum has had to cancel the event owing to ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Yet a battery gun will still fire at 8.10am to mark the moment the devastating 40-minute shelling began.

Both the Headland and West Hartlepool were targeted in fog with further attacks taking place down the North-East coast in Whitby and Scarborough.

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Museum manager Diane Stephens said: “We’ve known for quite a while that we were probably unable to have a formal service like we normally do given the current social distancing in place.

John Cambridge, of Headland Parish Council, lays a wreath during the 2019 service.John Cambridge, of Headland Parish Council, lays a wreath during the 2019 service.
John Cambridge, of Headland Parish Council, lays a wreath during the 2019 service.

"But it is still important to remember what happened and we will be firing our 25lbs gun at 8.10am as usual to mark the moment the bombardment happened.

"Hopefully things will have improved sufficiently for us to hold the service again next year.”

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Crosses with the names of the casualties will be placed in the gardens for a longer period than normal, from December 14-21, so that people have ample opportunity to visit them.

Battery manager Diane Stephens.Battery manager Diane Stephens.
Battery manager Diane Stephens.

Colourful displays from pupils at the Headland’s St Bega’s Roman Catholic Primary School and the secretive Heugh Yarners in the Community will also appear on the museum’s outer walls.

The museum, which is the scene of where battery guns retaliated to the 1914 attack, hopes to reopen in spring next year after attracting nearly £100,00 in funding from the Arts Council and Heritage Lottery Fund to preserve its immediate future.

Further details about the museum and how to make a donation are available at www.heughbattery.co.uk.

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Read more: Fascinating footage from Bombardment aftermath is unearthed

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