School clock rewinds back 100 years at Mayflower Primary to mark 1917 Poplar bombing

A ‘headmaster’ dressed like they did 100 years ago dropped into Mayflower Primary wielding an impressive cane for a re-enactment of a typical day of lessons in 1917.

Actor Andrew Ashmore was brought in as part of a series of centenary activities staged at the school where 18 children were killed during a German air-raid on east London on June 13, 1917.

One bomb in the air-raid crashed through the school roof, through two classrooms and exploded in the ground-floor infants’ classroom, killing 18 children and badly injuring many more.

The school has been running a writing workshop led by journalist and City University media lecturer Tina Moran to produce a special souvenir supplement for the East London Advertiser on June 15 to mark the 100th anniversary.

“Working with Year 5 on their project to remember the schoolchildren who died 100 years ago was a fascinating and rewarding experience,” Tina said.

“Their poems, diaries and artwork displayed creative flair and an excellent command of written language—they’re all definitely young journalists in the making!”

Actor Andrew Ashmore joined the centenary activities today when he took the role of headmaster and instructed the children on what to do in case of an air raid.

He warned the young scholars: “If the Zeppelins come, keep indoors, put lights out and keep quiet.”

But sadly, those instructions back in 1917 were not enough to save 18 children when a German Gotha plane flying over Poplar scored that direct hit on the school in Upper North Street on June 13.