Plans for a memorial to factory workers killed during a second world war bombing raid in Newark have been delayed while the company that owns the site is consulted.
Newark Town Council hopes to create a memorial to the 41 people killed at Ransome and Marles, in March 1941.
On Friday, 7th March 1941, the most well known of all raids on Newark-On-Trent took place, when the Ransome and Marles factory was bombed at 1.40pm. A single German Heinkell 111 bomber, flying so low that those on the ground could see its markings, approached from the south following the railway line. It dropped four high explosive bombs. Two of these landed on the works causing considerable damage, one on the road at the side of the factory and the other on an air raid shelter adjacent to Stanley Street. The plane machine gunned the site before circling, passing over the factory again and dropping another bomb. This did not explode.
At 2.24pm another enemy aircraft approached, dropped five more bombs but only one exploded, causing more damage and casualties, which were mainly rescue workers. As a result 29 men and 12 women were killed, 65 treated in hospital and 100+ treated at the works own underground hospital. This day became known as “Black Friday.” Ransome and Marles changed its name to R.H.P. (Ransome, Hoffmann and Pollard) and is now called N.S.K. (Nippon Seiko K.K.)
Laurence Goff, Chairmen of The Newark Friends Cemetery would like to see the memorial at Newark Cemetery next to The Fallen
