Tragedy at Willow Vale, 1932
The spring of 1932 was remarkable for the amount of rain that fell on the town, causing widespread flooding, with rivers swollen to an alarming extent.
“On Monday evening 2 May a group of schoolboys rushed excitedly from school down to Willow Vale to gasp in amazement at the raging torrent which had risen to within a foot of the road over the town bridge. The river had risen about eight feet in two hours and pretending to be shipwrecked sailors, the boys clambered on to an old stone structure bridging the river which had been part of the housing for an old water wheel.
“Without warning the stones arch collapsed throwing five boys into the raging torrent. One of the lads, Dennis Moore aged 11 had the good fortune to be dragged by the current towards the bank and was rescued by his friends Danny Johns and Leslie Alcock, who managed to grab his arm and pull him clear – almost falling into the river themselves.
“Police constable Edgar Olpin, a good swimmer, took off his helmet, cape and cloak and threw himself into the water; he reached the middle of the stream but the situation was hopeless as the boys were swept away before he could reach them. Olpin was in serious danger of drowning when he had the presence of mind to shout to one of the onlookers on the bank to throw him the end of his cape by which means he was dragged to safety in an exhausted condition. The four boys were swept under the bridge in a matter of minutes and in that dark and confined space their position was hopeless.
“Dragging operations began immediately and continued until it was too dark and dangerous to see anything. Operations were resumed at daybreak on Tuesday and at about 6.15 the body of Stanley Edwards, aged 9 of The Mint was found over a quarter of a mile from the bridge. At 9.30 Anthony Horsefield aged 11 of Oakfield Road was found at Low Water with his satchel still strapped to his back. Harold Moore, the fourth boy, of Selwood Road and brother to Dennis was found on the Friday morning. On the day of the tragedy it was his ninth birthday.
“The search for the remaining boy, Charles Sharland, 12 of Woodland Road continued and his body was not found until over two weeks’ later on Thursday 19. The coroner recorded a verdict of ‘Death by Misadventure’. The funeral of Stanley Edwards, the youngest victim, took place at Holy Trinity Church on the 9th and the church was filled with mourners and many floral tributes.
“PC Olpin received much praise for his actions and was personally decorated by the King in the New Year’s Honours List with the King’s Police Medal for gallantry.”
By Mick Davis and David Lassman
