Wartime

War Memorial

The Sawley servicemen killed during the First and Second World Wars are listed on the war memorial.

Netherfield Road Bombing

On August 28th, 1940, German bombers returning from a raid on Rolls Royce at Derby dropped bombs on Sawley.  Some of these fell at Trent Lock, damaging a house.  Another bomb hit no. 28 Netherfield Road, the home of Arthur James and Florence CRIPPS.  

In 1939 Arthur had been living with his parents and younger sister on Station Road, Long Eaton.  He worked for British Celanese at Spondon.  He’d married Florence Maud Purdy on 15th June, just 6 weeks before the bomb hit.  Arthur received multiple injuries in the blast and was buried in the debris.  He was admitted to Nottingham General Hospital but died a week later whilst undergoing an operation to remove his right foot.  He was 38.

Adjoining houses, especially No 26, were severely damaged and two women were killed in Reedman Road.   They were Mrs Margaret Reay COLMAN (58) and her daughter Grace Alderson Colman (16) who lived at ‘Brackley’ 23 Reedman Road.  They were originally from County Durham where the father had been a schoolmaster until his death in 1936.

Since moving to Sawley, Margaret had been a member of the Women’s Institute and the New Sawley Wesleyan Church.  Grace had just left school (the County Secondary School, later called Long Eaton Grammar School).   An older sister, Marjory (who worked at Long Eaton Post Office) and older brother Stanley were injured but recovered.

Wartime Changes

As well as Anderson Shelters and other air raid shelters in gardens and school playgrounds, public shelters were erected in the middle of several Sawley road.

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