Oldham looks back on Second World War Christmas Eve bombing

In the early hours of Christmas Eve at approximately 5.30am, a siren rang out on Abbey Hills Road and surprised residents, many of whom had friends and relatives staying for the festive season.

Tragically, a bomb suddenly fell on a row of homes, killing 27 and injuring more than 40 with 38 being rushed to the Oldham Royal Infirmary.

The impact of the V1 in Oldham, 1944 (Image: Aircrashsites.co.uk) 

The impact further destroyed 35 houses on the street and damaged more than 1,100.

A high number of toddlers, young children and teenagers were revealed as being among the dead as families gathered in anticipation of Christmas day.

The V-1 rocket, known as a 'doodlebug', was destined for Manchester but fell on Oldham instead after running out of fuel.

V1s were callously designed to cause mass devastation on civilians, with no intention to hit targets with precision but to strike terror in Britain as 'revenge' for the allied forces' bombing of German cities.

Some 30 doodlebugs had been launched in an effort to hit Manchester that morning, with only one in Northenden being anywhere close to the city while others scattered around the North West.

The V-1 rocket was more than 27 feet long, carried an 850kg warhead and flew at an estimated 400mph.

It is also believed the bomb must have passed over Lees as a bundle of letters containing the names of British prisoners of war in German hands were found in Lees Cemetery. 

The Germans would often place propaganda material and letters from prisoners of war in the V-1 canisters which historians believe was a tactic in hopes that British civilians would write back and expose where the bombs had successfully landed.

The effects of the bomb can still be seen today on the street (Image: Google Maps)

But while the deadly incident in Oldham signified one of the last V1 attacks of the Second World War, to this day the effects of the bomb can be seen on the street.

Abbey Hills Road has a row of newer houses on both sides of the street where homes had to be rebuilt after the bombing.

For the 70th anniversary of the attack in December 2014, a commemorative plaque was unveiled at 145 Abbey Hills Road.

Survivor, Doreen Highland, who was just a young girl when the V-1 destroyed her family home, unveiled the plaque at the special ceremony.