COUNCILLORS responded to a plea by a man who survived the Sheffield Blitz during World War Two by voting for a memorial to victims of the 1940 bombings to be moved or replaced with one in a more prominent position. Patrick Strafford, aged 85, who was 15 in the blitz and later served in the Normandy Landings aged 19, when he was shot twice, challenged members of Sheffield Council to make the move to honour the 2,000 people killed or injured in the Luftwaffe raids on the city.
He told a hushed Sheffield Council chamber how he managed to make it home from the city centre as enemy planes were overhead - only for a delayed reaction bomb to go off damaging his home after the all-clear had been given and he had gone to bed.
"The ceiling came in," he recalled to councillors.
Mr Strafford said: "A memorial for the civillians killed or injured in the Sheffield Blitz should be prominent - its should be in a central area where people can see it, so that what people went through at the time is not forgotten."
A motion had been put forward to the council meeting yesterday afternoon by Labour Coun Pat Midgley, who represents Manor Castle, that the current memorial at Devonshire Green should be replaced with one in a place that is "more visible and prominent".
Her proposal had cross-party support. Replying to Mr Strafford, Lib Dem leader, Coun Paul Scriven, said: "We do have a memorial but it isn't in as prominent a position as it should be, not just to remind us of the terrible turmoil the city went through but to remind ourselves of the steely determination of so many like you.
"Many people suffered great loss but your example is living testament to the people who were real heroes and were absolutely determined not to be broken."
He told a hushed Sheffield Council chamber how he managed to make it home from the city centre as enemy planes were overhead - only for a delayed reaction bomb to go off damaging his home after the all-clear had been given and he had gone to bed.
"The ceiling came in," he recalled to councillors.
Mr Strafford said: "A memorial for the civillians killed or injured in the Sheffield Blitz should be prominent - its should be in a central area where people can see it, so that what people went through at the time is not forgotten."
A motion had been put forward to the council meeting yesterday afternoon by Labour Coun Pat Midgley, who represents Manor Castle, that the current memorial at Devonshire Green should be replaced with one in a place that is "more visible and prominent".
Her proposal had cross-party support. Replying to Mr Strafford, Lib Dem leader, Coun Paul Scriven, said: "We do have a memorial but it isn't in as prominent a position as it should be, not just to remind us of the terrible turmoil the city went through but to remind ourselves of the steely determination of so many like you.
"Many people suffered great loss but your example is living testament to the people who were real heroes and were absolutely determined not to be broken."
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