Poppy HOOKINS (Tree M)

An unbelievable addendum to the story of the discovered air-raid shelter.
George McCleish was the person who took the photographs and he had a son who was born just a months or so ago called Archie. I have just been informed that Archie's Mum is in fact one of the Plymouth HOOKINS'.

Poppy Hookins (Tree M)

 I reported some time ago about the sad occasion during World War II when newlyweds Ted HEMPKINS and Polly (Pauline Madge Louvaine nee HOOKINS) just 2 or 3 days after their wedding in 1941 took cover in an air raid shelter during a raid on Plymouth. They chose or ended up in a shelter apart from the rest of the family but whilst the rest of the family re-emerged from their shelter after the raid Ted and Polly's shelter took a direct hit and both were killed.
I am indebted to William Cuthbert a current relative by marriage of the Plymouth HOOKINS' who has informed me that the public shelters in Plymouth were filled in but that last month one of these was uncovered virtually intact in the grounds of what is now Plymouth University. The location of this shelter is adjacent to the one which took the direct hit (because that is well documented) but a member of the family is pretty certain that the location is that of the shelter he occupied as a young lad in the raid which killed his sister Poppy and her husband.
I am also indebted to George McCleish who was one of the workmen involved with the discovery of the shelter because he captured these images of the shelter so that we can retain this pictorial record to supplement this story.
It is sad that Plymouth City Council and the University have decided to fill this preserved shelter with concrete rather than save it as evidence of the city's past sacrifice and commitment to and involvement in the war effort.
As William has indicated, when you look at the pictures, you can imagine that the direct hit would have given Ted and Poppy no chance at all and would have brought shudders to those in this nearby shelter. However these pictures are significant because without them I would probably be not communicating with any HOOKINS folk in Plymouth or those linked to them by marriage like William.