Oldham will be commemorating the 70th anniversary of one of the borough’s darkest days.
Two special events will be held over the coming weeks to remember those who lost their lives or were injured when a flying bomb hit Abbey Hills Road on Christmas Eve, 1944.
It was at 1pm when a German V1,known as a doodlebug, slammed into a row of houses on Abbey Hills Road, Oldham destroying a number of homes.
The deadly incident, one of the last V1 attacks of the Second World War, sadly claimed the lives of 27 people and seriously injured another 49.
It is believed the original target of the raid was Manchester but the doodlebug had fallen short after running out of fuel.
A commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the site on Saturday, December 20 at 12 noon ceremony at 145 Abbey Hills Road, Oldham OL4 1RE.
The plaque will be unveiled by Doreen Highland who was a young girl when the attack destroyed her home. She now lives in Wales.
Local historian John Fidler will also be giving a talk on the bombing at 7pm on Wednesday, December 17 at Oldham Local Studies and Archives Centre at 84 Union Street, Oldham, OL1 1DN.
Using local and national archives, as well as reminiscences from local people, John will explain the background to the attack and the experiences of those involved.
This talk is part of the Oldham Local Studies and Archives ongoing series of events which over the next four years will explore the experiences of residents during wartime.
Councillor Jean Stretton, Cabinet Member for Town Centres, Culture and Tourism, said: “Although this tragic event was 70 years ago I’m sure the memories of what happened that day are still with a lot of older residents even to this day
“That is why it is very important we preserve the memory of what happened for future generations.
