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Sunderland in world war 2

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Not WW2 but in WW1 the German High Seas fleet set sail before the Battle of Jutland to bombard Sunderland in an attempt to draw the Grand Fleet into an engagement favourable to them.

We would have been obliterated
 

I read recently that after the battle of Jutland in WW1, the German fleet only put to sea once more, with the intention of Sunderland.

They had to abandon the plan to avoid being engaged by the RN, and never put to sea in force again for the rest of the war.
 
A bomb was dropped on Alexandra Park where I grew up. Two houses destroyed. They were rebuilt but a little bit different to all the others.

Once found an ARP wardens helmet in a shed there too.
 
There is 2 prefab houses on netherburn rd ,just off crozier st ,horrible out of place things surrounded by pre-war brick houses.

They were originally 2 houses there that were built the same time as the rest of the estate but were bombed out during WW2
 
MEEKLANGLEYFTM said:
whilst we know about the bombings that took place in London and Coventry etc, but were the docks of Sunderland targeted?? Even on the Tyne or tees were they?? I have never heard anything about it, I think there was once something on the news about Hartlepool being bombed.
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Look onlinr for North Easr Diaries, full account of bombing, aircraft shot down, ship sinking and lots of other incidents inWWII between Berwick and Hull.
 
Sunderland was heavily bombed. German bombers attacking Sunderland used to come over my Dads farm after theyd hit the Town and turn out to sea, one time they shot up the farm and killed my Dads horse.
 
MEEKLANGLEYFTM said:
whilst we know about the bombings that took place in London and Coventry etc, but were the docks of Sunderland targeted?? Even on the Tyne or tees were they?? I have never heard anything about it, I think there was once something on the news about Hartlepool being bombed.
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Have a search online mate, there are Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photos of Sunderland docks.

My parents lived in Herrington and my grand-dad reckoned that there was a 'false' railway station built near the Foxcover woods. When there was a raid the Home Guard would show some decoy lights during the black-out hoping that the Germans would bomb the woollybacks instead of the town/docks.

There was a searchlight and AA detachment on Herrington Hill too I think.

My eldest uncle would have been 4 or 5 in 1940/1 and deffo remembers the bombing although I don't know where their shelter was as they lived in 2-up 2-down pit houses.

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we shot a plane down which crashed in Suffolk st roughly where the Catholic club is and the 3 crew and a local woman were killed
 
Hulkster said:
I read recently that after the battle of Jutland in WW1, the German fleet only put to sea once more, with the intention of Sunderland.

They had to abandon the plan to avoid being engaged by the RN, and never put to sea in force again for the rest of the war.
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they only really came out in force (which was nothing like the order of battle they had at Jutland) a couple more times - once for an East Coast raid (which might have been headed towards Sunderland) which turned back due to a false detection of RN ships and a sweep to the east of Dogger Bank.

After that they transferred a lot to the Baltic to finish off the Russians and just took to trying to isolate whichever RN battle squadron was doing the Norway convoy run (but with no success)
 
Stevie Freestein II said:
Have a search online mate, there are Luftwaffe aerial reconnaissance photos of Sunderland docks.

My parents lived in Herrington and my grand-dad reckoned that there was a 'false' railway station built near the Foxcover woods. When there was a raid the Home Guard would show some decoy lights during the black-out hoping that the Germans would bomb the woollybacks instead of the town/docks.

There was a searchlight and AA detachment on Herrington Hill too I think.

My eldest uncle would have been 4 or 5 in 1940/1 and deffo remembers the bombing although I don't know where their shelter was as they lived in 2-up 2-down pit houses.

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My Dad told me about that, never got hit once!
 
Wierd Valley Mackem said:
My Dad told me about that, never got hit once!
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I've had a look on the web and cannot find any details, until your reply I'd assumed that my older relatives were spinning a yarn (again).

I cannot find any info re: Herrington Hill either. My grand-dad was in the Home Guard and he also reckoned that a bomber crashed in the area.

This is a photo of the Herrington locals seeing the men from the flying metal bird for the first time:

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My next door neighbour was in the home guard. Sometime after he died his wife was telling us about a time they were doing a war game. I think it was Houghton Home guard were the Germans and Herrington the British. Anyway him and his mate turned up late saw these fellas dressed as Germans and legged it all the way home they thought wed been invaded :lol:

Stevie Freestein II said:
I've had a look on the web and cannot find any details, until your reply I'd assumed that my older relatives were spinning a yarn (again).

I cannot find any info re: Herrington Hill either. My grand-dad was in the Home Guard and he also reckoned that a bomber crashed in the area.

This is a photo of the Herrington locals seeing the men from the flying metal bird for the first time:

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Next time im over ill ask him about it been a while since he told me.
 
Is a house outside ashbrooke cricket club one of the three storey ones completely missing from middle of the street apparently that got hit and it's been replaced by some glass appaetments now that look totally out of place
 
hefty em said:
Hartlepool was hit by jorman ships and hung a monkey. In retaliation.

Or something.
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Hartlepool has three notable claims to fame.

The very first town to be bombed from the air by zeppelins.
The only town to have hung a monkey thinking it was a Frenchman
and their very own Andy Capp,
....though to be fair every town and village in the N.E. used to be chocka with Andy Capps.
 
wakey wakey said:
Is a house outside ashbrooke cricket club one of the three storey ones completely missing from middle of the street apparently that got hit and it's been replaced by some glass appaetments now that look totally out of place
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The block of newer townhouses was 1 or 2 bombs, over the road there are some more (including the shop) which were another bomb. I've never been able to confirm this with anyone and I've asked loads but there's a new guest house on brookside terrace almost in line with these other 2 sites which could be another from the same plane.
 
Wierd Valley Mackem said:
My next door neighbour was in the home guard. Sometime after he died his wife was telling us about a time they were doing a war game. I think it was Houghton Home guard were the Germans and Herrington the British. Anyway him and his mate turned up late saw these fellas dressed as Germans and legged it all the way home they thought wed been invaded :lol:
...
Next time im over ill ask him about it been a while since he told me.
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I'm not surprised at that!

It's a shame that we don't know more about all of this, we do have some photos of an air rifle shooting club that my grandad helped to run, he'd have been a good sniper if the Jerries/Houghton had invaded.
 
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