Sister Ursula Macer: A Flying Bomb Victim

The first memories of my Aunt Ursula were black and white photographs of her as a nurse and my mother (her younger sister) taking me every Sunday to her grave in the City of London Cemetery, London, E11. My mother told me that she had been killed by a ‘doodlebug’ V1 flying bomb in August 1944.

Sadly my mother died unexpectedly and I was too young to ask her more about her sister whose death had affected her so greatly. My recent interest in family history sparked a resolve to find out more. My aunt is on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Civilian Roll of Honour:

"Ursula Macer, S.R.N., daughter of Mr & Mrs J. Jones of Devil’s Bridge, Aberystwyth, wife of L.A.C Eric John Macer R.A.F, died at Upton Lane School 12 August 1944 aged 32."

Ursula was born in rural Wales near Aberystwyth in 1912. The Jones family were ‘agricultural labourers’, Welsh speaking and strict chapel goers. Her first instinct was to move to London so she could to train as a nurse. She completed training in mental health nursing, with distinction, at West Park Hospital, Epsom. She transferred to Whipps Cross Hospital, London, E11 in 1937and qualified as a ‘State Registered Nurse’ in November 1940. She married Eric Macer in December 1940 and lived in Upton Lane, London, E7 with her landlady Mrs Skingle. Eric joined the RAF and was posted to Yorkshire.

Ursula worked between 1941 and 1944 at Aldersbrook Advance Base Hospital, London, E11 as a Staff Nurse and Night Sister.

In the early morning of Saturday 12 August 1944, Upton Lane School in Upton Lane received a direct hit from a V1 ‘doodlebug’ flying bomb. Photographs held by Newham Local History Library taken on 13 August 1944 show the completely devastated school building.

The Stratford Express newspaper on 18th August 1944 reported:

"School victim of Flying Bomb
Twelve hours after a flying bomb had fallen in a school playground on Saturday morning and reduced the school building to rubble; two women who had been sleeping on the ground floor were brought out dead from the wreckage. They were later identified as Mrs Macer, a nurse and Mrs Skingle. At first it was not definitely established that the women were in there. It was known that they had permission from the caretaker to sleep on the premises, but as he was away no one was sure. Rescue workers, however, took no chances. Later on it was established from information from a man and woman who with their five children escaped from the basement of the school in which they were sheltering, that the women were there, and the part of the building they were in. Rescue workers sank an eight foot square well through the wreckage to get at the bodies. Houses and shops were demolished in the neighbourhood. Five other casualties were dealt with at first aid posts."

Ursula’s death certificate echoes the stark reality of war. Under ‘when and where died’ appears ‘dead body found 12 August 1944 Upton Lane School’. The cause of death is ‘due to war operations’. The Mortuary Form ‘deaths due to war operations’ from Newham Local History Library shows that her body had been found at 7.45 pm on Saturday12 August 1944 and had been taken to the temporary mortuary at the Municipal Baths, Romford Road, E15 by 8 pm. The cause of death was ‘blast and suffocation’. Perhaps the biggest shock on this faint photocopied page was the discovery that my mother had gone to the mortuary to formally identify the body of her sister. My mother had moved to London from Wales in 1942 and was nursing for the Red Cross at Claybury Hospital, Essex — an emergency hospital during the war years

My mother had kept a poignant reminder of my Aunt’s last hours and the tensions she was feeling because of the flying bombs. My Aunt had written a letter on Friday 11th August 1944 to her husband’s aunt who lived in rural Hertfordshire. It was never posted:

"My dear Dora
I hope you are all well and that the flying bombs are not worrying you.

Things have been pretty bad around here lately. My flat was blasted the first night they came over, all the windows out except the bedroom. I happened to be in bed at the time but have not been in it since. Eric is very well and is still in Yorkshire. He hasn’t had any leave since the beginning of the year but hopes to have 7 days soon. If the flying bombs are still around when his leave is due we shall have to get out of London somehow. I don’t mind staying here when I am working, but to spend a holiday here would just finish me off.

Eric suggested I ask you whether you could put us up for a week, but you may be already full up. I’m awfully sorry to bother you but I would give anything for a week out of here. I don’t care where we sleep, anything will do, I feel I can sleep anywhere now after spending 2 months in a shelter.

I don’t know when Eric will be having his leave but I would let you know in time - of course things happen so suddenly these days that the war may be over by then. Anyhow I hope you don’t mind me asking you, even if you can’t manage it.
Please give my kind regards to John and all at no. 4.
Yours sincerely
Ursula"

A funeral service for my Aunt was held at St Gabriel’s Church, Aldersbrook on 19 August 1944, followed by her burial in the City of London Cemetery. The following tribute appeared in St Gabriel’s Parish Magazine in September 1944:

"Staff Nurse Macer — RIP — Aldersbrook Hospital

No doubt she would have been alive today if she had consented to leave our hospital and do the same work elsewhere in a safer area. And she could have gone, for she had no personal responsibilities locally and the alternative offer was made.

In the fullest meaning of the phrase she has made the supreme sacrifice, killed by enemy action because she stuck to her post.

We, on the hospital staff, deeply mourn for the tragic loss of one so devoted to her patients, so loyal to her colleagues, so efficient, so bright, so popular with us all.

Sister Macer had been with us since December 15th 1941. All her work was done in the Hood Lister Wards on the medical side.

This is the first tragedy of this kind to happen to any member of the staff.

Her husband who is in the RAF knows how deeply we all sympathise with him in his great sorrow. That sympathy goes out to her family and to each other; for we have lost a nurse whose strong sense of vocation set us so high an ideal of selfless sacrifice."

This tribute moves me to tears every time I read it. I can think of no better way of acknowledging the life and sacrifice of an Aunt who I never met.

(I would like to acknowledge the invaluable help re WW2 archives in Newham given to me by Ms S Harding of Newham Local History Library)

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