The Durning Road disaster occurred during the Liverpool Blitz in 1940 when a bomb intended for Edge Hill railway station struck Ernest Brown Junior Instructional College.

The explosion caused extensive damage, collapsing the building and trapping hundreds in the basement shelter. Rescue efforts lasted for days, with many fatalities.

The tragedy highlighted the indiscriminate nature of wartime bombing raids and the vulnerability of civilians in wartime, even when sheltering in a usually safe location.

However, with the expansion of Liverpool during the Industrial Revolution, Edge Hill underwent significant transformation.

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Edge Hill experienced rapid urbanization and industrial development. The construction of the world's first intercity passenger railway, the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, began in Edge Hill in 1826.

This pioneering railway, engineered by George Stephenson, revolutionized transportation and further spurred the growth of Edge Hill as a hub of commerce and industry.

By the early 20th century, Edge Hill had become a bustling residential and commercial district, home to a diverse population engaged in various trades and occupations.

Its proximity to Liverpool's city center and strategic transportation connections made it an attractive location for businesses and residents alike.

Leading up to 1939, Edge Hill remained a thriving urban neighborhood, albeit with some challenges associated with rapid urbanization and industrialization.

The Liverpool Blitz was a period of intense and sustained bombing of the city of Liverpool and its surrounding areas by the German Luftwaffe.

Lasting from August 1940 to January 1942, the German Luftwaffe aimed to disrupt British industry, demoralize the population, and weaken the country's war effort by simply battering the country into submission.

Liverpool was a prime target due to its strategic importance as a major port and industrial centre.

The city played a crucial role in supplying Britain and its allies with essential goods and materials, making it a key hub in the Allied war effort.

Despite the destruction, Liverpool's resilience and spirit generally remained unbroken.

Civilians endured nightly air raids, seeking shelter in underground bunkers and makeshift shelters, while emergency services worked tirelessly to rescue survivors and extinguish fires caused by the bombings. 

The bombing exacted a heavy toll on the city, with thousands killed or injured and countless families displaced from their homes. 

However, even amongst all this destruction and mayhem which spread out across the city, one particular tragedy stood out.

The gravest single incident to occur in the city, unfolded during a heavy raid, when a direct hit on an air-raid shelter in Durning Road resulted in a devastating loss of 166 casualties.

British Prime Minister Winston Churchill - himself no stranger to the horrors of the German onslaught - described this event as the "single worst incident of the war”.

Notably, Parachute mines, weighing 1,000kg each, were unleashed for the first time by the Luftwaffe, delivering unprecedented destruction upon impact or via clockwork fuses.

One was dropped onto Durning Road.

To further complicate matter, that night’s onslaught onslaught pushed Liverpool's emergency services to their limits.

In addition to the tragic events at Durning Road, where gallant rescues would earn a policeman and an RAF member George Medals,

Garston gasworks suffered a devastating blow. This led to a significant evacuation of the area that lasted for days.

Approximately 300 individuals had sought refuge in the basement of the College on Durning Road during the early hours of the air raid.

This group included factory workers, tram passengers, and local residents.

When the building was hit, it collapsed onto the shelter, causing chaos as furnaces exploded, boiling water and steam scalded people, and gas pipes ignited.

Finally, with the fear of disease increasing, body parts that had not been recovered were covered with lime and the basement was sealed.

In the immediate aftermath of the devastating bombing in Liverpool, journalists from the Echo newspaper diligently surveyed the widespread destruction.

They recounted entire residential districts reduced to rubble, vividly describing the scene as one of utter devastation. One harrowing report depicted the affected area as a "smoking shell," a haunting image of destruction and chaos.

Even those outside of Durning Road were not safe from the Luftwaffe. Fifteen-year-old Derick Phillips was at home when the devastating blast rocked his neighbourhood on Hollywood Road.

Taking refuge under the stairs with his mother, Kathleen, and younger brother, Norman, 13, Derick's grandmother, Harriet, remained in the kitchen with their dog.

While they survived, tragically, the explosion claimed the lives of friends and neighbours, including the entire Seafield family (Father, Mother and three sons) from Fernwood Road, as well as Mr. and Mrs. Williams, proprietors of a greengrocer's in Birchtree Road.

The disaster impacted those who were not even in the shelter. Stan Smart was aged 12 at the time yet years later, would vividly remember the tragic events of the disaster that claimed the lives of his aunt, uncle, and neighbour.

His routine of reserving spots in the Durning Road shelter for his family, even on calm nights, reflected the pervasive fear instilled by the ongoing Luftwaffe air raids.

Yet that night, Stan was not in the air raid shelter – a decision which would probably save his life.

The devastating loss of 166 lives, and possibly more, in a single incident deeply impacted the fabric of society, prompting widespread grief, reflection, and resilience.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, religion played a pivotal role in providing solace and support to the grieving community. Churches and religious institutions opened their doors to offer comfort, counselling, and spiritual guidance to those affected by the disaster.

Clergy members and religious leaders played a crucial role in providing pastoral care and organizing memorial services to honor the victims and facilitate collective mourning.