It is a pleasure to welcome Peter Bolger back to the Old Low Light Heritage Centre.
Peter, who lives in North Shields, has extensively researched the Wilkinson’s Lemonade Factory air raid shelter disaster of 3 / 4 May 1941. He has written North Shields 173 about the disaster and for more than 20 years has maintained a website – www.northshields173.org – which continues to attract interest and queries from across the world.
NS173 tells the story of one of the worst single bomb incidents outside London during World War 2, when 107 people were killed, including 43 children in Wilkinson’s basement air raid shelter.
Peter will describe the unsung heroism of Ellen Lee, the air raid shelter warden, who saved more than 30 people and worked throughout the night despite being injured herself.
While three men received medals for their part in the rescue operation, there were no such awards for Ellen, a local character, whose job it was to open the shelter when the sirens sounded, keep it tidy and count people in and out.
After the bomb hit, Ellen, who was 6ft tall and weighed almost 18 stone, found the exit door blocked with rubble and bricks and she used her strength to shoulder charge the wall repeatedly until it gave way enough to make an opening onto the street. She stood at the door until 32 people had managed to get out and remained on duty despite her own burn injuries.
It was only in 2023 that Ellen’s heroism was recognised with the unveiling of a blue plaque on the wall of the East End Boys’ Club, George Street, North Shields, near to the site of the lemonade factory.