Joyce Grace Hackett was born on 12 February 1918, the youngest of the three children of Charles George Hackett (1886-1921) and Lottie Helen Hackett née Aiton (1886-1940). Her birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1918 in the Lambeth registration area.
Electoral registers from 1918 to 1920 show her parents listed at 140A Union Street, Borough High Street, Southwark, but in 1921 they were shown at 140 Union Street, Borough High Street. Her father's death was registered in the 4th quarter of 1921 in the Southwark registration district.
Electoral registers in 1922 continue to list her mother at 140 Union Street, but from 1923 to 1933 her mother is listed there with her maternal grandmother Mary Jane Aiton née Banister (1854-1935). The 1934 and 1935 show them still there but as her sister, Rose Ivy Hackett (1913-1940), had turned 21 years-of-age, she too was also listed. Registers from 1937 show her mother and sisters, Rose and Bessie Hackett (1916-2001), still at this address.
Her sister, Rose, married a Reginald W. O'Connor (1911-1967) in 1939 and the 1939 England and Wales Register show her sister, Rose, and husband living at 142B Union Street, whilst she and her mother were still at 140 Union Street. Her occupation was given as a laboratory assistant at a food factory.
She died, aged 22 years on 10 September 1940 as a result of enemy action when a German bomb fell on the Ewer Street air raid shelter. Amongst the others killed at the air raid shelter was her mother. Also killed on the night of the air raid was her sister Rose Ivy O'Connor née Hackett at 143B Union Street.
Her name can be found on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website and it is also recorded in The Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey. These confirm that she was still living at 140 Union Street.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
