Tram crash 1940

Daily Post

Tuesday Dec 3rd 1940

LIVERPOOL TRAM OVERTURNS BETWEEN AIR RAIDS

21 PASSENGERS INJURED

21 passengers injured and 8 were detained in hospital last night when a tramcar ran off the points and overturned on to the pavement at the junction of Grove St and Upper Parliament St, Liverpool. The tramcar was crowded at the time of the accident, which occurred just after an air raid, before all had been taken to hospital another air raid was in progress.

The 5W was proceeding from Liverpool towards Woolton, along Upper Parliament St, when it swung around at a left hand bend and careered across the setts, crashing on its side on the foot path close to another tram stop. People waiting at the other tram stop were able to jump out of the way when the tram toppled.

Mrs JACKSON was in her house in Upper Parliament St when she heard the crash, "We rushed out and found people on the top and lower deck had been thrown in heaps, when we saw them scrambling clear we were amazed, you would think they would have been killed."

All the injured were at first taken to the Liverpool Foot Hospital, close to the scene, Mr A. COX who lives at the hospital was returning from duty with the Home Guard when he heard the crash, and he immediately organised rescue work till the police arrived, due to his efforts the injured were quickly dealt with. Four ambulances took the seriously injured to another hospital and several people were able to go home by taxi.

Few were seriously injured, probably due to the netting pasted on the tram windows, which reduced the injuries through flying glass. The breakdown gang were quickly on the scene, the roof was ripped off the tram and a crane and tackle righted the vehicle, which was then towed away.

Among the seriously injured detained in hospital :-

An unidentified woman

William MASTERMAN, 31, a soldier

Florence HAZELHURST, 45, 5. Wainwright St, Liverpool

Joseph LEWIS, 30, 3. Garmoyle Rd, Liverpool

Allan ASHTON, 20, of Manor Arms, Chester St, Birkenhead

Percival LEWINGS, 57, 22A Cumberland Ave, Liverpool

Elizabeth PERRY, 65, 3 Borrowdale Rd, Liverpool

William BEGGS, 70, 6 Westgate Rd, Wavertree

Others treated at hospital but allowed home :-

Otto FALK, 42 Cleveland Rd, Liverpool

Thomas DUNN, 14, 1d St Andrews Gardens, Liverpool

Harry KELLITT, 68, 54 Green Lane, Mossley Hill

Thomas HACKER, 15 Springfield Place, Liverpool

James Edward FITZGERALD, 15, 38 Nickleby St, Liverpool

S. R. REYNOLDS, 52, 38 Herondale Rd, Wavertree

Doris ASPDEN, Nimrod St, Liverpool

Hilda BARKER, 40, 57 Brookdale Rd, Liverpool

Julia FONTAINE, 29, 42 Belmont Rd, Liverpool

Margaret MC NALLY, 30, 25 Carlingford St, Liverpool

Frank BUTT, 42, 10 Mount St, London

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