- Contributed by听
- gmractiondesk
- People in story:听
- Peter O'Brien
- Location of story:听
- Manchester
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4552030
- Contributed on:听
- 26 July 2005
"This story was told to R.V. Train and submitted to the People's War Site by Nona Dougherty of the GMR Action Desk on behalf of Peter O'Brien and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
"Is it True - Young Children and New Borns - Walking the Coals."
Bradford gas had two gas holders and during air raids the children were takne to stand in the vicinity of the holders as it was felt that they were used by the German aircraft as a marker. The parents believed that they were safe as the aircraft used these as a market for the various factory areas in the Manchester area. This appeared to be true as the holders were never bombed.
Most of the children in the inner cities of the Manchester area suffered from chest complaints.
It was a favourite of grandmothers to take their children to Bradford gas where they were encouraged to walk over pots of hot tar, breathing deeply!
At the end of the trail after coughing up phlegm your reward was to fill a pram with coal that had fallen off wagons.
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