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Baby

Age: 0

Sex: male

Date: 21 Oct 1942

Place: Hartley Main Collieries Ltd, Flatworth Bridge, Wallsend Road, North Shields

The body of a newly-born male child was found on the railway of Hartley Main Collieries Ltd near Flatworth Bridge, Wallsend Road in North Shields, on the Monday morning, 19 October 1942.

The child's death was said to have been due to lack of attention at birth.

The body was found by a platelayer who worked for Hartley Main Collieries Ltd. He said that he had been travelling along the Hartley Main private railway towards High Flatworth Farm when he found the child's body lying near the upline as he was passing under the bridge at Wallsend Road.

He said that the child was quite naked and that he then took it to the weigh cabin and informed the police.

It was thought from the position of the body that it could have been thrown over the bridge from Wallsend Road.

It was noted that the upper part of the child's body seemed quite clean but that there were slight bloodstains on the lower part of its stomach and between its thighs. There were no apparent bruises on the body.

The doctor that examined the child at Tynemouth Jubilee Infirmary said that it was that of a fully developed male child and that he thought that it had died about 8 hours before it was found and that its death was due to lack of attention at birth. He said that there were no marks of violence and that he thought that it would have died immediately after birth. He noted that if the child had been thrown from the bridge at Wallsend Road then there would have been bruises on its body and that it would not have been so clean, and stated that he thought that the child must have been paid down where it was found.


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