Parachute mines in Sheffield

[Guest bow]

Hello

does anyone have any info about where parachute mines fell in Sheffield during the war and what would have been there explosive capacity.How effective would air raid shelters have been against these larger bombs.Secondly where did ARP wardens go during raids,did they have their own shelters?

Thanks for any info

Ron

[miked]

Hello

does anyone have any info about where parachute mines fell in Sheffield during the war and what would have been there explosive capacity.How effective would air raid shelters have been against these larger bombs.Secondly where did ARP wardens go during raids,did they have their own shelters?

Thanks for any info

Ron

I was always facinated about the one that landed near the Odin Mine Castleton. I looked for evidence but the ground is very disturbed around there. I think I got wind of it at the visitors centre.

There is also a bomb (dont know what sort) crater at Wharncliffe, near the railway. Again not identified.

One impressive one I have seen is in Wheater Wood Grenoside. Apparently the villages heard it dropping! A local theory was that they were after the munitions site at Jaw bone, about a mile away. Very close in ww2 terms I suppose.

My dad had a bit of yellow parachute material, now lost. He told me, if I remember right, it was off an incendary. He said he used to try and put the things out with a carpet, in Crookes. Sounds about right.

I would be interested in any other info. on these.

Mike

[dunsbyowl1867]

Hello

does anyone have any info about where parachute mines fell in Sheffield during the war and what would have been there explosive capacity.How effective would air raid shelters have been against these larger bombs.Secondly where did ARP wardens go during raids,did they have their own shelters?

Thanks for any info

Ron

Ron

Quite a few lost their lives during the Blitz - try to get a copy of Paul Licence's book the Sheffield Blitz. A number died at Coleford Road where there was a shelter - also read this harrowing account from the son of a ARP warden who died during the Blitz

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/86/a5059686.shtml

[Bayleaf]

Hi Ron

A bit more detail for you.

According to The Star at the time, there were 11 parachute mines dropped in total.

However, the excellent book by Mary Walton, Raiders over Sheffield, which was written from the contemporary records, says that 14 mines were dropped in the second raid.

of these, 2 failed to explode. 1 damaged Bolsover Rd/Barnsley rd at Firth park; another damaged Coleford Rd, Whixley Rd and Cottingham St at Darnall (see below); another damaged Bessemer Rd, Shepcote Lane and greasborough Rd; another landed in Hadfield's, another hit Brown Bayley's, another Steel, Peech & Tozer, and another hit Brightside Station.

The combined total of unexploded bombs for the 2 raids was 143, of which 6 were unexploded mines. Of these, 1 fell in Tinsley Rolling Mills, 1 fell in Hucklow Rd, 2 at Crookesmoor, and 2 near Malin bridge.

Of those that exploded, in the first raid 1 exploded between the gasholders at Neepsend, and in the second raid, 1 exploded in Cottingham St., and 1 in the grounds of Firvale Institution (now part of the Northern General Hospital.)

Although not from the same source as the above I believe one also exploded in Hawksley Avenue, so that accounts for some of them!

(The unexploded bombs were removed to safety at various locations in Rivelin valley. Unfortunately one later exploded and smashed a water main!)

[RichardB]

Hi Ron

A bit more detail for you.

The combined total of unexploded bombs for the 2 raids was 143, of which 6 were unexploded mines. Of these, 1 fell in Tinsley Rolling Mills, 1 fell in Hucklow Rd, 2 at Crookesmoor, and 2 near Malin bridge.

Of those that exploded, in the first raid 1 exploded between the gasholders at Neepsend, and in the second raid, 1 exploded in Cottingham St., and 1 in the grounds of Firvale Institution (now part of the Northern General Hospital.)

Although not from the same source as the above I believe one also exploded in Hawksley Avenue, so that accounts for 10 of them!

(The unexploded bombs were removed to safety at various locations in Rivelin valley. Unfortunately one later exploded and smashed a water main!)

Whatever fell on Hawksley Avenue it was certainly big; we used to play football on the levelled remains.

[Bayleaf]

As to capacity, the heaviest dropped in the raids were 2200 lbs, thogh whether this included the mines isn't clear. The idea of the parachute mine was that it didn't penetrate like a normal bomb but exploded at or above ground level, maximising the blast effect. So I guess underground shelters would have offered protection, unless they were close to the point of impact.

A house in Myrtle Rd was the source of 2 stories. The house was hit by an unexploded bomb which exploded on Saturday morning and collapsed. Rescuers reached a 57 year old woman who refused to be rescued until everyone else was out, and she directed the rescuers in getting everyone else out. She was recommended for a gallantry award in the London Gazette.

The first of the people rescued from the same house was an elderly lady who was given a cup of tea and questioned by a warden. He asked if she'd noticed anything the morning after the raid. The old lady said, well, there was a hole in the roof... and a hole in the sink... and another hole in the floor under the sink. "Didn't you do anything about it?" he asked. "Oh yes," she said, "I put a board over the hole so's the cat wouldn't fall down it."

[Guest bow]

Hello

thanks alot for the replies.Do you happen to know whether destruction caused on the Flower Estate (Daffodil Road) was a parachute mine?Also,can you verify whether a parchute mine fell on Heather road near Windmill Lane (again near Firth Park)?

Thanks alot for any more info.

Regards Ron

[Bayleaf]

Hello

thanks alot for the replies.Do you happen to know whether destruction caused on the Flower Estate (Daffodil Road) was a parachute mine?Also,can you verify whether a parchute mine fell on Heather road near Windmill Lane (again near Firth Park)?

Thanks alot for any more info.

Regards Ron

All I can find Ron is that the damage on the Flower estate was caused by 'heavy calibre bombs', which I think means conventional bombs rather than mines. There's no specific mention of the places you mention, the only locations are the ones I've listed.

[Guest Deepcar Dreamer]

Hello

does anyone have any info about where parachute mines fell in Sheffield during the war and what would have been there explosive capacity.How effective would air raid shelters have been against these larger bombs.Secondly where did ARP wardens go during raids,did they have their own shelters?

Thanks for any info

Ron

Hi Ron

On the moors between Outer edge and Cutgate. there are two craters which when the water level is low still have bits of metal in them, one was a Parachute mine and the other a V1 rocket.

[RichardB]

Six mines by parachute

[RichardB]

or 11

"There was a tremendous bang and we heard some thing hit the house wall, I was sitting at the far end of the shelter on a bunk when what appeared to be a tongue of flame licked through the entrance and I was lifted up and banged against the shelter wall. It was the blast from one of the land mines that were dropped by parachute. It landed at the top of Southey Hill opposite St Bernard's Church which was only a prefab type building and it was flattened. The houses across were completely destroyed and the families wiped out. "

[RichardB]

or indeed fifty ...