IN JUNE last year James Bagnall asked for further information about the site of a World War II bombing raid on Hedon in May 1941 in which it was thought an entire family was wiped out.
Two properties, Ashley Villas and Daisy Villas on Magdalen Lane, Hedon, were destroyed in the bombing raid on 8th May 1941 and 11 people were killed – including six members of the Spicer family Mr Ernest Spicer, his wife Vida and four children, John (aged 22), Delma (14), Geoffrey (10) and Edward (6).
This horrific tragedy has taken another macabre turn with the discovery that another member of the Spicer family, son Jack (22), also died during the war two years later on February 6th 1943.
And another mystery has arisen during the Hedon Blog discussion on these tragic events. The photos on this page were taken and sent in by Mr Peter Batty in Scunthorpe: The entire Spicer family are commemorated/buried in the Crosby Cemetery in Scunthorpe?
It is believed that the bombing raid left eleven casualties, the Spicer family of Ashley Villas, and Lucy Lear also of Ashley Villas, and Ellen and Josephine Ellerton and John and Muriel French of Daisy Villas.
We are appealing to readers who might have any further information about the families involved to get in touch. Did the victims all live in Hedon? What is the Spicer family’s link with Scunthorpe? What fate befell Jack Spicer?
And also James Bagnall’s original questions: What type of houses were Daisy Villas and Ashley Villas. What happened around the bombing, clearance and rebuild? Are there any photos of the area before or after the bombing?
(Ongoing research)
HEDON MUSEUM kicks off its New Year programme on Saturday 18th February 2012 after being ‘dark’ since November 2011.




ST ANDREW CHURCH in Paull will be open as part of the
On Saturday 10th september at 2.30pm David Smith (local historian) will be giving a talk on the photographs and history contained in his new book 









