Earlier today a memorial service was held at St John On Bethnal Green to mark the 70th anniversary of the tragedy which saw 173 people die in a terrible accident at the tube station on 3 March 1943, representing the worst loss of life in any one incident on the home front during the entire Second World War. The occasion was also marked by the unveiling of phase two of the ‘Stairway To Heaven‘ memorial, which will finally provide a fitting tribute to all those who lost their lives.
Previously only commemorated by a small plaque above the staircase onto Cambridge Heath Road, survivors of the disaster and their descendents have been fund-raising for several years in order to construct a monument to the local residents who died on that fateful day. Barring the inverted staircase that will top it, this new monument is now complete – it consists of a long piece of Portland stone studded with plaques that recount some of the very personal tragedies that were suffered, as well as three plaques on the upright section which list the names of every victim. There’s also a bench at the end where people can sit in quiet contemplation, and a pleasant little memorial garden with some exotic planting.
To give you some examples of exactly what happened that day, here are two of the harrowing accounts taken from the plaques:
Seven members of the Mead family – George Snr, Florence, George Jnr, Kenneth, Maureen, Eliza and her married daughter Matilda Korobenick – were caught up in the disaster. Six died in the crush. Maureen, 4, was pulled out alive but sadly died hours later in hospital with a tear in her eye.
I was on duty at the Children’s Hospital in Hackney Road through the night when the adult casualties started to arrive. They were all dead, but wet as the medics had tried to revive them with water. We were sworn to secrecy and it was incredible that we obeyed. It was the worst night of my medical career – Dr Joan Martin MBE
Today the ‘Stairway To Heaven’ memorial was covered in wreathes, some of them placed by the survivors who are still around today – I also noted that both the London Fire Brigade and London Underground had left their own tributes (the Fire Brigade was the first emergency service on the scene and they removed many of the bodies back in 1943). Present at the memorial service earlier in the afternoon were local celebrities Tommy Walsh and Cheryl Baker, who are both from the immediate area (Tommy is patron of the trust), and a contingent from that most authentic group of East End folk, the Pearly Kings & Queens.
More money is still needed in order to complete the monument – if you would like to help there’s a Just Giving page here where you can make a contribution.
About Pete Stean
