Article on Find My Past about 1930 Castleford explosion

On 5 July 1930, the town of Castleford in Yorkshire was rocked by a massive explosion at its chemical plant. 13 people died, many more were injured, and homes were destroyed, leaving many homeless. As terror ripped through the community, some delved into danger to help their colleagues. One such person, 20-year-old James Edward Skitt, tried gallantly to put out the ensuing fire, which ultimately cost him his life.

https://www.findmypast.co.uk/collections/collection?id=00778994-a42e-49c8-8b37-4605bf464e63&route=findmypast&view-mode=mcm&utm_source=Iterable&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=campaign_13697015

Leave a comment

The banner at the top of this page is based on an engraving of Wakefield by Samuel Buck: view original
© 2011 Wakefield Historical Society. All rights reserved. All articles and images are the copyright of the authors and/or Wakefield Historical Society unless otherwise stated and are not to be copied in any medium without explicit written permission..
Every attempt has been made to gain permission from the owner(s) of copyright material.
The Society is not to be held responsible for the accuracy of content, and does not necessarily endorse views held on this site.If you find broken links or other website problems please contact the Website Manager : info@wakefieldhistoricalsociety.org.uk

Wakefield Historical Society © 2026. All rights reserved | Registered charity No. 248363
Website by Wakefield Website Design.co.uk