In April and May 2023, the Northern Ireland War Memorial marked the anniversaries of the air raids on Northern Ireland with three commemorations. Members of the public were invited to attend to pay their respects and to remember those who were killed as a result of enemy action in April and May 1941.

Thursday 6 April 2023:

On Thursday 6 April, the Northern Ireland War Memorial marked the anniversary of the Dockside Raid, which took place on 7/8 April 1941.

Two minutes of silence were observed by trustees, staff and invited guests including Hannah Renwick (née Anderson) who attended to remember her half-brother, John Anderson.

John was seventeen when he was killed in the family home and grocers shop on Annadale Street during the Easter Tuesday Raid. As a child John lived with his grandmother and aunts in Killylea and is buried in Lislooney, Tynan, Co. Armagh. Hannah has recently been interviewed by the NIWM, adding her wartime memories to the museum’s growing oral history collection.

Saturday 15 April 2023:

On Saturday 15 April 2023, the NIWM marked the anniversary of the Easter Tuesday Raid with a wreath laying ceremony at the mass blitz grave in Belfast City Cemetery. The Easter Tuesday raid took place on 15/16 April 1941, resulting in the loss of over 740 lives in Belfast. Lives were also lost in Bangor, Newtownards, and Derry/Londonderry.

Pictured above is Vice Chair of the Board Catherine Champion with invited guest Nikki Spence who placed a wreath on the memorial in memory of all who lost their lived including her great uncle, William John Wallace Senior and his son William John Wallace Junior who died at their home, 57 Eastland Street, during the Easter Tuesday Raid. William John Wallace Senior was 25 at the time of his death. He was a Machine man and ARP Warden. They are buried in a family grave in Belfast City Cemetery with William's sister Annie Bradshaw and her son David who were also killed in the raid.

Also in attendance was a piper from Campbell College Combined Cadet Force who performed Abide with Me after which two minutes of silence was observed.

Friday 5 May 2023:

On Friday 5 May, NIWM marked the anniversary of the Fire Raid with a wreath laying ceremony at the mass blitz grave at Milltown Cemetery. The Fire Raid took place on 4/5 May 1941, and resulted in the loss of over 200 lives.

The mass grave exists for those killed across the four air raids of the Belfast Blitz who were found with items such as crucifixes or rosary beads. Details on who or how many are interred were not kept but it is estimated that around 30 victims are buried in the mass grave at Milltown.

Pictured above is Chair of the Board Colonel (Retired) Don Bigger with invited guests Maeve McAtamney and a piper from Campbell College Cadet Force. Maeve placed the wreath on the mass grave in memory of those who are buried there, after which she laid a wreath on the grave of her mother's cousin Frances McKenna and her fiancé Tommy Flood who died during the Easter Tuesday Raid.

Frances was 18 when she died alongside Tommy who was 20 and a clerk at the docks. The couple lost their lives when a wall from York Street Spinning Mill collapsed onto the house they were sheltering in. According to the family, Frances had travelled from the Falls Park area to Vere Street to be with her beloved Tommy. They were sheltering under the stairs when the house was struck. They were both dug out of the rubble by Frances' father who said Tommy's watch was still going. Frances' father died weeks later and Frances' mother never really recovered from the loss of their only child. Frances and Tommy are buried together in a family grave which is very close to the mass grave in Milltown Cemetery.

While the term 'Belfast Blitz' tends to shift the focus to the huge loss of life in the City, NIWM are keen to highlight that lives were also lost in Newtownards, Bangor and Derry/Londonderry. Further details on Blitz casualties are available on the NIWM website: Blitz Victims and the public are encouraged to come forward with stories.

In consultation with Belfast City Council, the NIWM arranged for the two mass graves in Belfast to be cleaned and refurbished ahead of these anniversaries.