A WOMAN who was buried in an unmarked grave after being killed in York’s infamous Baedeker air raid during the Second World War is finally to be given a headstone.

Florence Maddison died when she was hit by shrapnel while in bed at her home at 39, Lavender Grove, on April 29, 1942, says Darran Walker, who works for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

He said she was ill in bed when a bomb dropped on the street, destroying properties.

Darran said that earlier this year, he located Florence’s unmarked grave in the churchyard at St Stephen’s Church in Acomb.

York Press: The area where Florence Maddison has an unmarked grave in St Stephen's Churchyard

He said he asked friends he had at Emersons Memorials, based at York Cemetery, to create a grave marker for Florence, and they agreed to make one free of charge.

The stone reads: "Florence Ada Maddison. Killed during an air raid on York 29.4.1942 aged 49 years."

The headstone is now set to be installed in St Stephen’s Churchyard in Acomb but Darran says he has been unable to trace any relatives so he can invite them along, and he wanted to appeal through The Press for anyone related to Florence to get in touch.

“The vicar here is finalising the permit etc and a few people want to attend when we place the headstone, including the gentleman who lives in the house now,” he said.

“Unfortunately I haven’t been able to trace any relatives.”

York Press: The gravestone created for Florence Maddison, who died in the raid

He urged anyone related to Florence, or who knew someone related to her, to email him at Fatdogsam6@gmail.com.

The Baedeker raid was York’s worst air raid of the war. It involved 70 German planes, lasted two hours and left 92 people dead and hundreds injured

It was reputed that Hitler, enraged by RAF attacks on Lubeck and Rostock, picked up a Baedecker guidebook and ordered that every historic place in England marked with three stars be bombed in retaliation.

York Press: Bombed out houses in Lavender Grove  Picture: The Press

During the raid on York, it is believed 115 bombs weighing about 50 tons were dropped within the city boundary.

Close proximity to the railway proved dangerous, and Lavender Grove was close to the lines heading north out of York.