Monument: Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - memorial
War Memorial
Erection date: 23/6/1919
{On the south face:}
In memory of 18 children who were killed by a bomb dropped from a German aeroplane upon the L.C.C. school, Upper North Street, on the 13th of June 1917.
Alfred H. Warren, OBE, Mayor
J. Buteux Skeggs, Town Clerk
{The west and east faces hold a list of 18 children’s names each with their heartbreaking age, see Subjects commemorated. }
{On the south face, low, on the stones making up the base:}
Erected by public subscription.
A. R. Adams, Poplar
From IBHB: "Unveiled by Major General Ashmore who commanded the London Air Defence Area which was established largely in response to this devastating daylight {the first} air raid of 1917."
Our colleague, Andrew Behan points out that, oddly, the inscription has omitted one honour from each of the names for the Mayor and the Town Clerk (a 'Sir' and an 'OBE'). We wonder if they joked about which one of them felt most insulted.
Andrew points out that William Hollis was actually still 10 days short of his fifth birthday, not already 5 as the memorial says. And the middle initial has been omitted for William Hollis, Grace Jones, George Morris, Robert Stimson and Rose Tuffin. All these inaccuracies may have been decisions taken by the parents or errors created by the memorial makers. We will never know.
Site: Upper North Street School WW1 bomb - memorial (1 memorial)
E14, East India Dock Road, Poplar Recreation Ground
