Trafford

Born during the December quarter 1898 in the Manchester R.D. - ref: 8d/237,
the son of Richard & Elizabeth Walker who later resided at 64 Cromwell
Road, Stretford.

During the September quarter 1926 John Married Evelyn Jesse Davies in the
Manchester South R.D. - ref: 8d/346.  1940 found them living at
Col-du-Mesnil Grange, Guersey, Channel Islands.

John's was the first Trafford related civilian death.   He was killed not
within the confines of Trafford, but at White Rock, St. Peter Port,
Guernsey, Channel Islands.   It was the height of the tomatao export season
and it was important to the Island's economy that as many tomatoes got away
as possible.    In consequence, long queues of lorries, vans and horse
drawn carts were lined up along the White Rock waiting to unload their
tomatoes into the holds of cargo vessels.    At 18.55 hrs on Friday 28th
June 1940, six German aircraft swept in from seemingly nowhere.   Three
shot off on a recce from east to west over the Island, the other three
swooped down over the harbour dropping incendiaries and high explosive
bombs, ruthlessly machine gunning the waiting vehicles.

A total of 34 civilians were killed and 33 injured in this raid.- the
youngest 14, the eldest 81.  Sarcastically this raid was referred to as the
Battle of the Tomatoes and afterwards the German authorities went to
lengths to state that their pilots had mistaken the vehicles for ammunition
or troop carrying lorries and bombed them ?

Prior to this incident, the German bombers had attacked the Guernsey
Lifeboat returning from Jersey and killed a lifeboatman.