Remembrance Day – November 11th 2011
Morpeth School marked Remembrance Day this year with a focus on the worst civilian disaster of the Second World War, which also happened to occur in the heart of our own community – the Bethnal Green Tube disaster of March 3rd 1943. On that wet night, 173 were crushed to death as they tried to enter the station to shelter from the threat of a bombing raid. The sense of panic that night can be explained in two ways: firstly, the RAF had heavily bombed Berlin on March 1st, and Londoners expected Germany’s retaliation to hit on the night of the 3rd. Like the RAF’s raid two nights earlier, the Luftwaffe’s attack was expected to be as severe. Secondly, after the sirens had died down, Bethnal Green descended in to an eerie, pitch-black silence which was quickly broken by the flash of search lights in the sky and the crack of a new anti-aircraft rocket launcher in Victoria Park. This weapon was new – the residents of Bethnal Green were not familiar with its sound, and so thought the bombing raid had already started. These two factors explain the panic of the people that night – and the rush to get ‘below ground’ and shelter in the station. This panic, plus the lack of a middle hand rail, pitch-black darkness and slippery steps are now accepted as the reasons for the horror that unfolded that evening.
The Stairway to Heaven charity has worked tirelessly over the past four years to gain both planning permission and funds to build a fitting memorial to the 173 people who died that night on the site. We felt our service of remembrance should be as much a show of support for the work of the charity as it was an act of remembrance for those who died, so we invited representatives from Stairway to Heaven to join a delegation of fifteen Year 10 GCSE History students for this event. The chairman and treasurer, along with three survivors braved the damp weather to come to Bethnal Green tube for 11am on Friday, November 11th.
Students paid tribute to the victims of the disaster by delivering four readings: Nathan (10R) and Omar (10P) read a short history of the events before a dedication of remembrance was read by Hamida (10P) and Noshin (10T). Raihan and Rahat (10T) then laid wreaths with messages of remembrance from the students on the site before we all observed the 11am two minute silence.
After the service, we went back to Morpeth for tea and cakes and further discussion with the charity about the disaster. Sandra and Derek spoke movingly about the reasons for so many deaths, followed by survivor Babette who told her story. The students were transfixed by the discussions, and asked many pertinent questions about how Babette has coped with the aftermath of the disaster. Her reply summed up the very reason for this annual season of remembrance: “I’m left with a lasting scar – I’m claustrophobic, and cannot bear large crowds”. We remember every November not just those who died, but everyone who has been affected by conflict.
Following this event, Morpeth will remain closely connected with the charity and our aim is for the students who took part in the ceremony to ‘adopt’ the memorial when it’s completed (hopefully by next summer) and so ensure the preservation of the memory of those who died on the night of March 3rd 1943 at Bethnal Green Tube station.