Rolls Royce Hucknall WW2

[Libralady]

The woman was called Brenda Hallam and was my mother's bridesmaid when she married in 1939, my mother was Margaret Housley nee Thorpe....they worked together at the Meadow Dairy in Nottingham,  which incidently was also bombed in the war....My mum says you could hear the pigs squealing for miles.......was a terrible time.......The gap in the houses on Ruffs Drive is still there.........my mother's family were called Thorpe and lived at 330 Westville........

[Kelly1]

My grandmother knew the family who were killed and their name was Hallam as my mother was friendly with their daughter called Brenda who was killed.........

Hi Kelly , Libralady and All

If you do a search for HALLAM Brenda for 1939 to 1945 you will only get two for England and Wales, both in 1940 and both under 1 year old. I'm not sure how complete their WW 2 indexing is.
https://www.freebmd.org.uk/cgi/search.pl

The July, August, September 1940 Quarter has one Death with Brenda Hallam registered in the REGISTRATION DISTRICT of Nottingham, for the whole of WW 2. (Unfortunately you can't double check WW 2 on GRO (gov.uk) Order a Certificate, for free, because the most recent indexed was 1916). You can still get the details off the Free BMD Image to order direct from GRO, but ordering is too risky without more research.

Looking at the Air Raids list (a newspaper list, so not exhaustive), a child was claimed to be killed in a raid on 30th August 1940. The child's name was not mentioned and there may be children amongst the other raid casualty figures too.

The Censor stopped the newspaper saying exactly where bombs fell, to prevent the Germans from checking the accuracy of their radio beam system guided aircraft. But quite often the affected City ran the account in the newspaper, just saying a Midlands Town or City, for City.

The Nottingham Journal of Monday 2 September 1940, confirms a Baby 18 months has been killed in the Midlands (a big area). The baby was taken to hospital and died on Saturday.

This and 1939 to 1945 needs researching at the main Local Studies or Nottingham County Archives, who should have some Civilian Casualty Cards of War Deaths, or files of the War Committee / Civil Defence / Fire Brigade Occurrence or Report Books/ ARP Minute Files, Ambulance Books, Police, or a surviving Emergency Planning Register. Usually, one record survives, but how detailed. If a council house, some of their files are in archives, or Committees dealing with rebuilding, or rehousing those affected.

A lot of people moved in WW 2, but sometimes a pre-war street Directory or Electoral Register may help to confirm the family name at an address, when only the address and casualty numbers are given at an address, to enable you to research further.

If you feel two Hallams have died, you can check Hallam only Deaths by the Quarter or Year too.

How reliable is the name Brenda for Hallam? But try an email to the Main Local Studies Library and the County Archives? Of course a child might be born, before the parents married having the mother's surname, so in the Deaths Register there won't be Hallam, that is if you are looking for a child?

Brenda could be a middle name, but middle names were only indexed as initials in some of these Registrar indexes.

A family recalling verbally the death was at Rolls Royce (RR), could mean killed in the raid on RR, but not on RR premises.

A copy Full Death Certificate will cost £9.25, but some may not mention raids, but died in hospital. It is too risky to order a Certificate, but make further enquiries.

Regards Mark

Hi Mark,

After trying to research this information, I did find that one of my Great Great Uncles did die at Rolls Royce in Derby. Initially I thought my Great Aunt was wrong about the family member being killed by a bomb. After I found the information about Rolls Royce, I spoke to my Aunt again and she was still adamant that a family member did die when a bomb hit.

The Hallam family were quite a large family, so I am going to try and do some more research to see what I can find. It is very interesting that LibraLady's family can remember a similar story.

[Kelly1]

The woman was called Brenda Hallam and was my mother's bridesmaid when she married in 1939, my mother was Margaret Housley nee Thorpe....they worked together at the Meadow Dairy in Nottingham,  which incidently was also bombed in the war....My mum says you could hear the pigs squealing for miles.......was a terrible time.......The gap in the houses on Ruffs Drive is still there.........my mother's family were called Thorpe and lived at 330 Westville........

Thank you for all of the information Libralady. I think I am going to have to do some more digging, I had originally thought that my Great Aunt was confused. One of my Great Great Uncles did die at Rolls Royce but it wasn't war related. The Hallam family were quite a large family and I know some of the Hallam's did stay in Hucknall. I dont suppose your family can remember Brenda's parents names?

[BushInn1746]

Hucknall appears to come under the BASFORD Registration District? But see the note in the link.

http://www.ukbmd.org.uk/reg/districts/basford.html

Mark

The woman was called Brenda Hallam and was my mother's bridesmaid when she married in 1939, my mother was Margaret Housley nee Thorpe....they worked together at the Meadow Dairy in Nottingham,  which incidently was also bombed in the war....My mum says you could hear the pigs squealing for miles.......was a terrible time.......The gap in the houses on Ruffs Drive is still there.........my mother's family were called Thorpe and lived at 330 Westville........

[Libralady]

I am not disputing that you are wrong, I can only relate to what I have been told by my family, who unfortunately I cannot check with now as they are all deceased, I think Brenda's mother was called Joan and they were members of the Bourne Methodist Chapel on Watnall Road Hucknall .......My mother's family were the Thorpe's from 330 Westville....... Incidently, I also had an uncle who died whilst he was working at Rolls Royce which wasn't war related either, it was in 1964 and his name was Jack Thorpe, he had a massive stroke whilst doing his job aged 54 years, it was his Silver Wedding Anniversary day..........Nice corresponding with you......

[BushInn1746]

Hi Kelly

Ruffs Drive, is on the corner with Laughton Crescent where the Evans were killed, when an RAF Fairey Battle aircraft crashed.

The 5 EVANS are all registered in the December Quarter 1940, in the Registration District of BASFORD on two adjacent pages.

Rolls Royce Hucknall shared the aerodrome with RAF Hucknall. But he / she might be a Casualty of the RAF / Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP), or an Air Ministry Dept, or Civil aircraft firm on contract to a Ministry or RAF.

If your Hallam relative was killed in England & Wales, his / her name should be registered on the General Register Office Index.

Mark

[Kelly1]

Hi Kelly

Ruffs Drive, is on the corner with Laughton Crescent where the Evans were killed, when an RAF Fairey Battle aircraft crashed.

The 5 EVANS are all registered in the December Quarter 1940, in the Registrstion District of BASFORD on two adjacent pages.

Rolls Royce Hucknall shared the aerodrome with RAF Hucknall. But he / she might be an RAF / Ministry of Aircraft Production (MAP), or an Air Ministry Dept, or Civil aircraft firm on contract to a Ministry or RAF, Casualty.

If your Hallam relative was killed in England & Wales, his / her name should be registered on the General Register Office Index.

Mark

Hi Mark,

Thank you for all of the information.

I think I am going to have to go through all of my paperwork concerning the Hallam's. From memory I can't recall a Brenda, but the Hallam's was a large family. I may have to trace them back and then forward to find the names of their children.

I know one of my Great Great Uncles did die at Rolls Royce in Derby, I have a newspaper article that states he was electrocuted while working on a machine.

I think this maybe one of those family stories that I will not be able to prove either way.

[BushInn1746]

Hi

If your relative was actually an employee at RR works, it might be worth establishing who has their employee records for the year when your relative died, whether they are still with Personnel or Human Resources, or their Archives branches ...

https://www.rolls-royce.com/about/our-story/the-rolls-royce-heritage-trust.aspx

https://www.rolls-royce.com/about/our-story/the-rolls-royce-heritage-trust/branches/derby-and-hucknall-branch.aspx

But an air raid death might be mentioned more in the types of records, I have already given (outside authorities).

Kind regards Mark

[Kelly1]

Hi Mark,

I know I contacted Rolls heritage trust some years ago. The gentleman that I spoke to there could not find any information.

However, I suppose it is worth another try.