What was the Slade Green munitions disaster?

A man is searching for the relatives of 13 people who died in an explosion at a munitions factory ahead of a memorial service in south east London almost 100 years on.

On 18 February 1924, 12 young women and one man were killed when fire ripped through their hut as they dismantled devices on marshes near Slade Green.

Services have been held before but Mike Smith, whose aunt Amelia was among the dead, said they were stopped and the names of relatives had since been lost.

He spoke to BBC Radio London's Robert Elms about plans for the service, which will take place at St Augustine's Church in Slade Green in February.

17 November 2023