Wigan Album

Until I saw this photo Jimmy I hadn't realised one of the 17 bombs that were dropped on Wigan that night, in April 1918, also fell in Leader Street. Two others that landed close by were at the top of Birkett Bank where a large street lamp was demolished (and never replaced complained the residents) and more tragically at Harper Street where similar destruction took place killing two of residents of one of the houses. My grandmother's family (the Gorries) also lived in Harper Street at that time, they took refuge under the table, it probably saved them because all the windows were blown out and the dog caught the blast of shattered glass and died. I always knew my grandmother was extremely frightened of thunder and lightning all her life, seeing these photos certainly explains why.

my parents lived in leader st at the time,and their house was damaged in the blast.dad was serving in france,mother was in the house with her baby.she told us how she got out of bed and sheltered on the stairs. the windows were blown out, and after the raid srapnel was found on her bed.she kept that ,and we looked at it often.unfortunately when she died we never found it.i think it must have got lost when she moved into a flat in her late 70s.i would have loved to have that memento of her life.one thing it did was to terrify us at the thought of war,and when it did come as a small child i was horrified.but we were lucky in ince,although i do remember a bomb dropped at the top of belle green lane, and lots of us went up there later to see the crater in the field.

My granddad's family lived at 26 Leader Street from 1890s until at least 1916. I'd love to see more pictures of Leader Street at that time if anyone has any.

Our family were living at 29 leader st when the farther was killed in France 1917. This must explain while the mother ( my Great grandmother) moved to platt bridge with two of her remaining 4 children.

in wigan world album it says it is harper st