WW2 Air raid casualties- burial record from Anfied

[Tickettyboo]

I recently obtained a print of a burial register entry from microfilm of Anfield Cemetery Burial Register 1940.

the image (hopefully) attached show 4 entries all of which are marked ARC - which I am assuming are Air Raid Casualties. They were all buried at Anfield on 4th December 1940.

The part I don't understand, and am hoping someone can help with, is what appears to be Webster Road followed by A then a 3 figure number.

Does anyone know what the significance of Webster Road is? and if the Axxx refers to a list of casualties, perhaps compiled by the council?

Webster Road doesn't seem to be where they were when they died.
I know that Mary and Stanley Wilson both died at Spofforth Road and have looked at the CWGC records for the other two people -
John James Phillips lived at Moorgate Street and died at Ernest Brown Junior Instructional Centre - which was in Durning Road.
James Brewer lived at Tunnel Road and died at Wavertree Park.

If anyone can shed any light on Webster Road and the reference numbers or suggest where I can make enquiries, I'd appreciate it.

Thanks

Boo

[ScouseBoy]

The A  numbers could be public Air Raid Shelters possibly?   Or the serial number (Badge number)   of the responsible Air Raid Warden for that street?

One of the city Museums may hold archives. try the City Library or Archives.

[ScouseBoy]

PS   since the district is Anfield,  A  could simply denote that district,  or  as the Local authorities had responsibility for ARP,  it could have been based on Electoral Divisions (or Wards),  do you think?

Look for records  at one or other of the other city cemeteries, such as Everton  or one of the others  and see how their numbers go?

[Tickettyboo]

thanks ScouseBoy, all suggestions are appreciated and filed for future reference !

I don't think the A would have been Air Raid Shelters - I know that Mary and Stanley were killed when a bomb hit their home in Spofforth Road, they weren't in a shelter.  I'd guess that when the bodies were recovered they would have been taken to a mortuary or at least somewhere that was acting as a temporary mortuary? Obviously I don't 'know' but that seems more likely than an air raid shelter?

Not too au fait with Liverpool districts but as far as I know, though they were buried at Anfield, Spofforth Road was/is in Wavertree? Would that have been regarded as Anfield District?

I will try emailing the archives at the Central Library to see if anyone there can shed some light on this. Its not vital, but I am SO nosey and don't like it when I don't understand what a record says :-)



Boo

[Tickettyboo]

aaah

I just looked at Webster Road on a current day Google map. It joins onto Spofforth Road, so 'perhaps' there was a (temporary or permanent) mortuary there where the recovered bodies may have been taken?

Boo

[ShaunJ]

Webster Road School was one of the emergency mortuaries.

See: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/read/ENG-LIVERPOOL/2000-09/0968478320

[Tickettyboo]

Many thanks for that ShaunJ.

It was a very useful and sobering piece to read and I will follow up on it and look for the other chapters. I'm really glad I asked now, as this article has given me a much better insight what actually happened after a bomb was dropped.

I didn't think of temporary mortuaries until ScouseBoy replied to my post. I checked the burial record of the third family member, Jessie Wilson, she had not been killed outright but taken to hospital and died a few days later from her injuries. On her record the hospital was noted in the same place as Webster Road had been for her Mum and brother.

Thanks again, your help is much appreciated.

Boo

[Blue70]

Yes I remember a lady on a Radio Merseyside phone-in recently talking about the mortuary at Webster Road school.


Blue

[Tickettyboo]

Hi Blue :-)
Thanks for that, people's recollections are a great way to corroborate other info.

As an aside, having read the articles that ShaunJ kindly pointed me to, I think the Axxx references on the burial registers would most likely have been the number assigned to each body as they were received in the temporary mortuary. As they would have to wait for formal identification, keeping a record with a number like that makes a lot of sense. I imagine there would have been some sort of ledger with as much detail as the ARP could give where found etc etc to help relatives to identify them when they were notified/came to look for their loved ones. I note that there were many, many bodies which were never identified.

Its all so very sad, so many families destroyed and distraught. I thank God I have been lucky enough not to experience this sort of thing first hand.

Boo