History: Bombed

By Peter Fox

DURING THE Second World War, Saddleworth was lucky that being just five miles from Oldham and approximately 13 miles from Manchester it wasn’t targeted with bombs –particularly when you look at the devastation caused in both major manufacturing areas.

The mills of Saddleworth were however viewed as targets, with many producing items supporting the war effort and German bombing maps clearly have them marked.

Bombs did land in Saddleworth during the war but they appear to have not been targeted at anything specific but just dropped for whatever reason, though fortunately as far as I am aware without any serious loss or damage and in some cases remaining unexploded.

Saddleworth Museum has in its collections a curious artefact in the form of a decorative plaque commemorating an unexploded bomb that landed in Saddleworth.

The bomb was dropped on16 February 1941 in the early hours of the morning and landed unexploded on the Greenfield Cricket Ground, luckily missing nearby housing and mills.

There was snow on the ground at the time and the bomb sank deep into the earth, which being near Chew Brook was very wet.

The impact was such that debris hit the windows of houses on Ladhill Lane. The surrounding houses were evacuated until the bomb had been disarmed.

The Bomb Disposal Squad had to dig deep as the crater kept filling with water, and theycalled for pumps to run night and day. They took three weeks to complete their work and throughout this time billeted themselves at the Greenfield Co-operative Hall (now flats) on Chew Valley Road Hall.

The bomb was found to have a damaged detonating pin which was very fortunate for all the residents in the vicinity.

It is interesting there are still two bomb craters that can be seen in the right lighting if you know the location. I remember being shown the location on family walks up Pots and Pans by my father Colin, looking down onto the fields which are to the north east of ‘HawkyardFarm’.

I was told of another bombing incident recently that relates presumably to the Second World War. When Brun Clough Reservoir was being drained and repaired in the 1960s, workers were surprised to find sticking out of the mud the fins from the rear end of two bombs; it was definitely we presume a case for the bomb squad.

If you can add any more information to these events or others not covered I would love to hear from you at the museum – e-mail curator@saddleworthuseum.co.uk or tel 01457 874093.