THE Ministry of Munitions recorded it as a ‘small explosion’ in the north of England, one spring night in 1917.

In truth, it left one police officer dead, four others injured, shattered every window in Church, and as far as a mile away at the Co-op drapery department, in Abbey Street, Accrington.

What really was a devastating blast and fire, that turned the sky over Church blood red, happened at CoteHolme chemical works, at Church, which produced nitric, pictic and sulphuric acids, as well as TNT.

But thanks to the heroism of PC James Hardacre, who was posthumously awarded the King’s Police Medal, and six firemen, who were made OBEs, thousands of lives were saved, and utter devastation prevented.

A subsidiary of William Blythes, CoteHolme was known locally as ‘canary island’ – the chemicals turned the hair, clothes, faces, and hands, of its 100 workers yellow, as well as the dogs which roamed the local streets.

Health and safety standards were non- existent. Workers used to wrap their clogs in rags to prevent a spark from the metal cokers igniting the highly inflammable atmosphere.

On the fateful night of April 27, PC Hardacre was on patrol as Church fireman Walter Schofield carried out his nightly check at the works, making sure the ‘pipe-holes’ were clear – essential maintenance in the case of a fire.

Suddenly there was a massive explosion.

PC Hardacre managed to close one of the magazine doors before being killed in a blast as he tried to close a second. His actions helped prevent a major catastrophe.

Firemen arrived to fight the subsequent fire, and brought the flames under control, helping avert a major disaster.

Walter, Sergeant Eli Paley, and Superintendent Richard Walker, from Church Fire Brigade, alongside Accrington firemen Superintendent Edward Ware, Second Officer Frank Barnes, and Third Officer James Roberts, were all later honoured for their ‘conspicuous courage and devotion to duty on the occasion of a fire at a chemical works’.

St John Ambulance Brigade, at Rishton, produced a postcard with a picture of PC Hardacre, and a poem by Kate Leeming, called The Noble Deed, about the tragedy . It sold for 2d, with proceeds going to his widow and children.

In council minutesm it is recorded that Superintendent Ware was awarded the sum of £5, and the firemen a guinea for their endeavours.

Wartime censorship prevented any reporting of the incident by newspapers, and today there is scant information about how long the fire lasted, and what damage was caused.

There is no mention of the names of the injured, or how many firemen, policemen, or ambulance crew, were involved.

Records do show, however, that the explosion shattered all the stained glass windows in St James Church, thought to date back to medieval times, and they were replaced by the Petre family from their own private chapel at the Dunkenhalgh.

  • The name of one of the injured has now come to light, that of PC Herbert Bradbury. He may have also received the King’s Police Medal, but is not traceable in any records – maybe readers can help.

Fireman Schofield’s OBE is now kept at Haworth Art Gallery.