1953 Storm Surge Deaths: U.K

1953 Storm Surge Deaths: U.K.

1953 flood flood of 1953 flood of ‘53

Please reference this document as:

Kelman, I. 2009. 1953 Storm Surge Deaths: U.K. Version 5, 17 August2009 (Version 1 was 30 November 2002). Downloaded from

Purpose:

From 31 January to 1 February 1953, a storm surge devastated coastal areas of several North Sea countries. Despite extensive research and material published on this event, reported death tolls vary and discrepancies amongst (and sometimes within) sources exist. In particular, the U.K. literature tends to leave out U.K. deaths at sea. The table here presents data and sources in order to provide a record of the deaths in the U.K. Only statements with explicit numbers, including zero, are recorded. One important source which this table does not yet fully tap is local newspaper archives, plus many other publications could be examined.

These death figures account for only the people who died immediately, not including those who later suffered premature deaths due to the psychological and/or physical toll exacted on them from having experienced the storm surge.

Suggestions to:

Ilan Kelman

Contents

Deaths in England on Land......

Other Deaths......

Other Statements on Death Tolls......

Plaques......

Sources......

Deaths in England on Land

Notes:

The table is ordered from north to south, following eastern England’s coastline.

The first two columns represent the lowest and highest death tolls respectively reported for each location.

The third column is the death toll reported from the “Source” column.

deaths
low / deaths
high / deaths / Location / County / Source / Notes
40 / 43 / 40 / Lincolnshire / Pollard pp. 32, 44 / Geographic scope is not clear.
43 / Lincolnshire / on 15 September 2002 / Drowned.
4 / Saltfleet / Lincolnshire / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 26
4 / Saltfleet / Lincolnshire / Summers p. 69 / Drowned.
16 / Mablethorpe-Sutton area / Lincolnshire / Summers pp. 72, 162
6 / Ingoldmells / Lincolnshire / Harland and Harland p. 27
6 / Ingoldmells / Lincolnshire / Summers p. 73
0 / Skegness / Lincolnshire / Harland and Harland p. 27 / “In Skegness itself, there were no casualties” p. 27
26 / Ingoldmells to Skegness / Lincolinshire / Summers p. 68
20 / Skegness area / Lincolnshire / Summers pp. 73, 162
15 / 15 / 15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Grieve p. 86 / Drowned.
15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 29 / Drowned.
15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 83 / Drowned.
15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Pollard pp. 44, 49
15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Summers pp. 75, 77, 162 / Drowned pp. 75, 77.
15 / King’s Lynn / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
25 / 25 / 25 / Snettisham / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 82
25 / Snettisham / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
9 / 9 / 9 / Heacham / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 83
9 / Heacham / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
31 / 32 / 32 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 81
31 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / Plaque in garden (see below).
31 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / Pollard p. 47 quoting the number listed on the plaque.
32 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / Pollard p. 47 quoting the Hunstanton inquest.
32 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002 / Lists only 27 names.
31 / Hunstanton / Norfolk / on 11 January 2003 quoting the number listed on the plaque.
1 / 1 / 1 / Wiveton / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 87 / Drowned.
1 / Wiveton / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
1 / 1 / 1 / Cley / Norfolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 87 / Drowned.
1 / Cley / Norfolk / Pollard p. 75
1 / Cley / Norfolk / Summers pp. 75, 79 / Drowned pp. 75, 79.
1 / 1 / 1 / Salthouse / Norfolk / Harland and Harland p. 32 / Victim swept through her kitchen window.
1 / Salthouse / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 88 / Victim swept through her kitchen window.
1 / Salthouse / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
7 / 7 / 7 / Sea Palling / Norfolk / Harland and Harland p. 32
7 / Sea Palling / Norfolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 91, 92 / Drowned pp. 77, 91, 92.
“one died of exposure” p. 91.
7 / Sea Palling / Norfolk / Pollard p. 39 / Drowned p. 39.
1 died of exposure p. 39.
7 / Sea Palling / Norfolk / Summers pp. 75, 79, 162 / Drowned.
7 / Sea Palling / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
9 / 10 / 10 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 33
9 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 91 / Drowned p. 77.
6 drowned and three shock p. 92.
9 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / Pollard pp. 41, 44
10 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / Summers pp. 75, 80, 162 / 6 drowned (three swept away) and 4 shock p. 80.
9 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / Tooke p. 77
9 / Great Yarmouth / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
1 / 1 / 1 / Wallington / Norfolk / on 15 September 2002
0 / 0 / 0 / Lowestoft / Suffolk / Harland and Harland p. 33
0 / Lowestoft / Suffolk / Ogley et al. pp. 93, 97
0 / Lowestoft / Suffolk / Pollard pp. 42,44
5 / 5 / 5 / Southwold / Suffolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 93 / 4 Drowned p. 93.
5 / Southwold / Suffolk / Pollard p. 52 / Drowned.
5 / Southwold / Suffolk / Summers pp. 75, 81 / Drowned p. 75.
5 / Southwold / Suffolk / on 4 December 2002 (article dated 11 September 2002).
0 / 0 / 0 / Aldeburgh / Suffolk / Ogley et al. p. 95 / 1 drowned a few days later while repairing breaches p. 95.
39 / 40 / over 40 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Harland and Harland p. 24 / Drowned p. 24. Geographic scope is not clear p. 37. Same source; two different death tolls.
39 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Harland and Harland p. 37
40 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Ogley et al. pp. 77, 95 / “Twenty eight people who had clung to roofs had been washed away and drowned” p. 95.
40 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Pollard p. 44 / Same source; two different death tolls.
39 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Pollard p. 57
28 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / Summers p. 81 / This number appears to refer to only “people clinging to the roofs [who] were washed away and drowned”.
39 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / The Felixstowe Times, “Flood Special” 7 February 1953 p. 1. Reprinted in Ogley et al. p. 98. / Drowned.
39 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / on 4 December 2002 (article dated 11 September 2002).
39 / Felixstowe / Suffolk / on 4 November 2002
8 / 8 / 8 / Harwich / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
8 / Harwich / Essex / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 38 / Drowned p. 24.
8 / Harwich / Essex / Ogley et al. p. 96
8 / Harwich / Essex / Pollard pp. 38, 57 / Drowned.
8 / Harwich / Essex / Summers pp. 75, 83, 163 / Drowned pp. 75, 83.
1 / 1 / 1 / Bramble Island / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
1 / Bramble Island / Essex / Pollard p. 62 / Told as a story of a drowning, not given as a death toll.
1 / Bramble Island / Essex / Summers p. 163
1 / Bramble Island / Essex / Summers pp. 75, 96 / Drowned pp. 75, 96.
35 / 37 / 35 / Jaywick / Essex / Grieve pp. 556, 568 / Drowning p. 568.
36 / Jaywick / Essex / Grieve pp. 557 / “11 men and 25 women” p. 557 but other comments on that page imply 35 dead.
37 / Jaywick / Essex / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 38 / Drowned pp. 24, 38. Plus “others died later from shock and exposure” p. 38.
35 / Jaywick / Essex / Holland p. 6
37 / Jaywick / Essex / Ogley et al. p. 96 / Drowned.
35 / Jaywick / Essex / Pollard p. 38 / Same source; two different death tolls.
37 / Jaywick / Essex / Pollard p. 63
35 / Jaywick / Essex / Summers pp. 75, 85, 163 / Drowned pp. 75, 85.
2 / 2 / 2 / Point Clear Bay / Essex / Grieve pp. 557, 568 / Drowning p. 568.
2 / Point Clear Bay / Essex / Holland p. 6
2 / Point Clear Bay / Essex / Pollard p. 64 / Told as a story of two drownings, not given as a death toll.
2 / Point Clear Bay / Essex / Summers pp. 85, 163
2 / 2 / 2 / Wallasea Island / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
at least 1 / Wallasea Island / Essex / Holland p. 7 / Drowning while collecting goods for the landlady at the Creeksea Ferry Inn.
2 / Wallasea Island / Essex / Summers pp. 85, 86, 163 / 1 Drowned, 1 not specified p. 85. Both drowned p. 86.
2 / 3 / 2 / Foulness Island / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
2 / Foulness Island / Essex / Pollard p. 82
3 / Foulness Island / Essex / Summers pp. 85, 86, 163 / Drowned, pp. 85, 86.
1 / 1 / 1 / Havengore Island / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
at least 1 / Havengore Island / Essex / Holland p. 8
6 / 6 / 6 / Great Wakering / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning and exposure.
6 / Great Wakering / Essex / Holland p. 8 / Drowning.
6 / Great Wakering / Essex / Summers pp. 86, 87, 163 / 4 drowned, 2 “later died in hospital from shock and exposure” p. 87
2 / 2 / 2 / Southend / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Shock and exposure.
at least 1 / Southend / Essex / Holland p. 8 / “from a heart attack after having fallen out of bed into the water”
2 / Southend / Essex / Summers pp. 86, 87, 163 / 1 shock, 1 pneumonia p. 87.
58 / 58 / 58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Barsby (no date) p. 8
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Barsby (1997) p. 8
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Cracknell p. 46
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Grieve pp. 565, 568 / Drowning, shock, exposure, and accident pp. 565, 568.
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Harland and Harland p. 24, 40
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Holland p. 11 / Quoting a newspaper article, many “died from asphyxia by drowning…[others] from the shock of immersion” and one from broken neck.
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Ogley et al. pp. 83, 96
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Plaque outside library (see below).
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Pollard pp. 65, 112
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / Summers pp. 86, 89, 163 / Drowned, shock, or exposure pp. 88, 89-90.
58 / Canvey Island / Essex / White p. 73
1 / 1 / 1 / Tilbury / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Drowning.
1 / Tilbury / Essex / Summers pp. 86, 90, 163 / Drowned pp. 86, 90.
1 / 1 / 1 / West Ham / Essex / Grieve p. 568 / Asphyxiation by gas from fractured main.
1 / Canning Town, West Ham / Essex / Summers pp. 90-91, 163 / “coal gas escaping from a fractured main” p. 91.
1 / 1 / 1 / Belvedere marshes / Kent / Summers p. 95 / No one else in Kent died p. 95.
0 / 0 / 0 / Whitstable / Kent / on 5 November 2002
304 / 313 / Total for deaths on land in England

Other Deaths

provides information on the wrecks.

deaths
low / deaths
high / deaths / Event / Location / Source / Notes
121 / 136 / 133 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Austin, personal communication / Wreck found.
136 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Cameron ( on 4 December 2002)
132 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Grieve p. 79
132 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Harland and Harland p. 23
132 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Ogley et al. p. 78
132 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Pollard p. 20
132 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / Summers pp. 28, 162
121 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / on 4 December 2002
133 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / on 4 December 2002
134 / Princess Victoria (ferry) / Irish Sea / on 4 December 2002
17 / 19 / 13 / Michael Griffiths / Scotland / Austin, personal communication
15 / Michael Griffiths (trawler) / Barra Head, Hebrides / Harland and Harland p. 23 / No trace ever found.
15 / Michael Griffiths (trawler) / Outer Hebrides / Summers p. 162
Scottish fishing fleet / Scotland / Harland and Harland p. 23 / “More than a quarter of the Scottish fishing fleet was lost”.
Scottish fishing fleet / Scotland / Summers p. 28 / “28 per cent of the Scottish fishing fleet was lost”.
2 / Islay lifeboatmen / Scotland / Austin, personal communication
19 / 15 “fishermen” and 2 “lifeboatmen” off Islay along with 2 “fishermen” off Lerwick / Scotland / Hickey p. 283, see also pp. 292-293
22 / 22 / 22 / Aspo / A few kilometres west of Jutland, Denmark / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Stockholm, Sweden. Wreck found.
16 / 16 / 16 / Catharina Duyvis / 16 kilometres west of Bergen aan Zee, the Netherlands / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in IJmuiden, Netherlands. ID: IJM60. Wreck found.
5 / 5 / 5 / Leopold Nera / North Sea / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Zeebrugge, Belgium. ID: Z727.
7 / 7 / 7 / Salland / 27 kilometres west of Egmond aan Zee, the Netherlands / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Delfzijl, Netherlands. Wreck found.
14 / 14 / 14 / Sheldon / North Atlantic somewhere between Shetland and the Faroes. A lifeboat washed ashore on Shetland / Austin, personal communication / Boat registered in Grimsby, England.
11 / 11 / 11 / Yewvalley / North Sea, probably east of Cromer, UK / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Glasgow, Scotland.
10 / 10 / 10 / Westland / North Sea, north of Terschelling, Netherlands / Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. Wreck found.
11 / 11 / 11 / Guava / North Sea. Position during last radio contact was halfway between Holland and England. / Austin, personal communication
Goedbloed, personal communication / Boat registered in Lowestoft, England.
11 / Guava (trawler) / North Sea / Harland and Harland p. 35 / No trace ever found.
11 / Guava (trawler) / North Sea / Pollard pp. 42, 44 / No trace ever found.
234 / 251 / Total for other deaths

Other Statements on Death Tolls

deaths / Location / County / Source / Notes
65 / Hunstanton to King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Grieve p. 86
65 / Hunstanton and Snettisham / Norfolk / Harland and Harland pp. 24, 30 / Drowned.
65 / Hunstanton, Heacham, Snettisham / Norfolk / Ogley et al. p. 77 / Drowned.
over 60 / King’s Lynn to Hunstanton / Norfolk / Pollard p. 32
61 / between Hunstanton and King’s Lynn / Norfolk / Pollard p. 75
61 / south of Hunstanton / Norfolk / Pollard p. 34 quoting the county planning officer. / Geographic scope is not clear.
65 / Hunstanton, Heacham, Snettisham / Norfolk / Summers pp. 75, 77, 162 / Drowned pp. 75, 77.
almost 100 / Norfolk and Suffolk / Ogley et al. p. 78
59 / Thames-side / Essex / EA p. 2 / Drowned.
more than 119 / Essex / Grieve p. 177
119 / Essex / Grieve p. 568.
119 / Essex / Harland and Harland p. 37
68 / south Essex implied p. 5 / Essex implied / Holland pp. 5,11 / This number is meaningless, because the geographic scope is unclear. In the article, Holland reports deaths in various locations and the numbers add up to 104.
113 / Essex / Summers p. 82
307 / Implied total along east coast of England / Harland and Harland p. 25
c. 350 / Total in England / Hickey p. 285
over 350 / Total in England / Hickey p. 289
350 / Total in England / Lamb p. 170 / Drowned.
307 / Total / Ogley et al. p. 78 / Drowned
over 300 / Implied total for Britain / Pollard pp. 8, 69, 70 / Drowned p. 8.
307 / Implied total for eastern England / Summers pp. 7, 64

Plaques

Sources

Austin, N. 2003. Personal communication based on her findings mainly from Lloyd’s list of ships lostat sea around the British Isles. This research was completed for the BBC Timewatch programme “The Greatest Storm”, directed by James Hayes and first broadcast on 31 October 2003.

Barsby (1), G. No date. 1953 Remembered: Canvey Floods. Geoff Barsby, Canvey Island, Essex.

Barsby (2), G. (compiler). 1997. Canvey Island (The Archive Photographs Series). Tempus Publishing, Gloucestershire, U.K.

Cameron, S. 2002. Death in the North Channel: The Loss of the Princess Victoria, January 1953. Colourpoint Books, Newtownards, Northern Ireland.

Cracknell, B.E. 1959. Canvey Island: The History of a Marshland Community. Occasional Papers No. 12, edited by H.P.R. Finsberg, Department of English Local History, Leicester, The University Press.

EA. 1999. Thames Tidal Defences: The Development of Flood Protection Along the Thames Estuary. EA (Environment Agency), Bristol. Document AN-11/99-1K-D-BEUR.

Goedbloed, J. 2009. Personal communication based on his own research.

Grieve, H. 1959. The Great Tide. The County Council of Essex, Essex, U.K.

Harland, M.G. and H.J. Harland. 1980. The Flooding of Eastern England. Minimax Books, Peterborough, U.K.

Hickey, K. R. 2001. “The Storm of 31 January to 1 February 1953 and its Impact on Scotland”. Scottish Geographical Journal, vol. 117, no. 4, pp. 283-295.

Holland, M. “Terror in the Night! The 1953 North Sea Surge and its Effects on the Essex Coastal Community”. Essex Journal, Spring 2003, vol. 38, no. 1, pp. 5-12.

Lamb, H.H. Historic storms of the North Sea, British Isles and Northwest Europe. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, U.K.

Ogley, B., M. Davison, and I. Currie. 1993. The Norfolk and Suffolk Weather Book. Froglets Publications, Kent, U.K.

Pollard, M. 1978. North Sea Surge: The Story of the East Coast Floods of 1953. Terence Dalton Limited, Lavenham and Suffolk, U.K.

Summers, D. 1978. The East Coast Floods. David & Charles (Publishers) Limited, London, U.K.

Tooke, C. (compiler). 1996. Great Yarmouth: A Second Selection with Gorleston and Caister (The Archive Photographs Series). Chalford Publishing, Gloucestershire, U.K.

White, P. 1999. The River - A Thames Journey. BBC Publications, London, U.K.

1