Derek Haynes has provided the following:

On the evening of the 31st September 1941 during an air raid over Sunderland five members of one family lost their lives. The family who resided at 59 Shakespeare Street, Southwick were William Hackett a 44 year old builder’s labourer, his wife Gladys May (42), Harry (16), Alice (10) and Thomas (5). The family were sheltering under the stairs when the bomb hit their home. It was only a week previous that the death had occurred of their youngest child John, aged 10 months. What was so tragic about these deaths was that the Anderson shelter in the back garden was undamaged.

A relation who was interviewed at the time of the tragedy told a reporter of the Sunderland Echo:

“Bill and his wife hadn’t been in the habit of using the shelter for some time. They were of the opinion that the staircase cupboards were safer unless there was a direct hit. Bill argued that the shelter was as likely to get a direct hit as the house.”

The funerals of the five family members took place on the 7th October 1941.

The Hackett Family is remembered in Southwick on S130.02

The CWGC entry for William Hackett
The CWGC entry for Gladys May Hackett
The CWGC entry for Harry Hackett
The CWGC entry for Alice Hackett
The CWGC entry for Thomas Hackett