[A final victory it seems for Chris Kilminster]
Looks like an early Christmas present for Chris Kilminster – the local historian who has mounted a long and difficult campaign to get a city-centre memorial to acknowledge how Bath reeled from the wartime bombing raids that killed 417 people and damaged or destroyed 19,000 buildings.
Chris has spent nearly sixty years researching every aspect of the air raids on this city and was hoping he’d get permission to erect a plaque acknowledging those dark days and the terrible loss of life, which included 63 young children.
He described this hope as his ‘one last throw of the dice’ and the central memorial as ‘something the city needed.’
He was hoping it would be located in Orange Grove and near Bath Abbey, but, at the last minute, back in October, he’d been refused permission by the planners.
Now it seems there has been a change of heart and he has got the council’s backing in using that location.
The only thing he has to wait until April next year for the unveiling as the 25th of that month was the day of the first infamous Baedecker Raids on the city – with as many as 86 German aircraft over the city at one time between then and April 27th 1942. This followed more sporadic bombing in 1941, which also resulted in the loss of many lives.
So April 25 th 2026 has been earmarked for an official ceremony and Chris finally gets his city-centre memorial for Bathonians and our visitors to be made aware
re of darker days in our past.
I hear they may be aiming for someone special to do the unveiling. Will let you know if l hear anything more.
Chris is delighted. ‘It’s been bloody hard to get anyone to listen to me,” he told me. So it’s good he has finally been heard.
The plaque will he headed ‘The Lost Generation’ – acknowledging the 66 young children who were part of the 417 people killed as a result of enemy bombing.
It’s a final victory for a man who has a special interest in the Second World War and, in particular, the Bath Blitz of 1942. His seven-year-old sister Mary and his mother were amongst the 31 men, women and children who huddled together in a public air raid shelter at Roseberry Road in Twerton at 5 am on Sunday, April 26th, 1942.
Above them, enemy bombers were laying waste to the city during the second of three raids that brought death and destruction to Bath.
It was at that moment that a large 500 kg bomb scored a direct hit on their place of refuge, and only three of those inside survived. Chris lost his sister and, although his mother survived the explosion and eventually remarried, she had lost a leg.
Chris campaigned for a permanent memorial near the site – in a new Memorial Garden dedicated to his sister Mary.
He was also involved in establishing another site of remembrance in the Memorial Gardens on Shaftesbury Road in Oldfield Park, where another air raid shelter was hit.
Chris recently joined me for a Wyatt’s Place podcast, and l hope you will find time to hear what he had to say about his long campaign to ensure that visitors to our World Heritage are made aware of darker days in its recent past.
He also talked about the German bomber pilot who came back to Bath to say sorry for what he – and his fellow members of the Luftwaffe – had done to the city and its people.
I have put the direct link to Spotify and Wyatt’s Place here. There are many other podcasts to listen to as well at this location.
Yes after years of campaigning by the Bath Blitz Project it is a shame that there ideal for a City Centre memorial was not fulfilled. Nowadays the Council no longer remember the victims of the Blitz, who paid the ultimate sacrifice. As a Survivor of the Blitz I go and place a bouquet of flowers at their memorial at The Cenotaph.
Many thanks, Richard for your new article on my for coming memorial which will be in an area within Orange Grove, may I sincerely think the chief executive of the city Council and the Newbridge counselor Michelle Doherty during our recent council meeting by the way, they make a lovely cup of tea as you have said Richard carefully watch this space. Hopefully there will be a real surprise in the unveiling. I’m sworn to secrecy, but as I say when I know you know who it could will be keep up the good work you have supported me honestly and trustworthy in every aspect of my last generation plaque. and also should anyone wish to know anything else please make contact with me. O7825912853 kind regards to everyone who have shown me interest in my quest for the victims Chris kilminster
Many thanks, Richard for your new article on my for coming memorial which will be in an area within Orange Grove, may I sincerely think the chief executive of the city Council and the Newbridge counselor Michelle Doherty during our recent council meeting by the way, they make a lovely cup of tea as you have said Richard carefully watch this space. Hopefully there will be a real surprise in the unveiling. I’m sworn to secrecy, but as I say when I know you know who it could will be keep up the good work you have supported me honestly and trustworthy in every aspect of my last generation plaque. and also should anyone wish to know anything else please make contact with me.