How doll was sent from New York to St Helens 75 years ago

Historian Stephen Wainwright shared the story on my 'Stories From St Helens Heritage' Facebook page in December of how the doll was given to Alison Spratt, from Gerards Bridge.

After Stephen put a call out to try and find Alison and her family, daughter Sheron got in touch to confirm the doll still exists and is in her possession more than 75 years later.

During the Christmas of 1945 British newspapers were full of how America was despatching the doll to a little St Helens girl.

What made the story special was that the gift was coming from Fiorello La Guardia, the mayor of New York City, of whom the airport would later be named.

The 63-year-old Republican was approaching the end of his 12-year-stint as mayor when he heard that the mother of Alison Spratt had contacted a New York radio station.

Mrs Spratt, from Cowley Street in Gerards Bridge, wrote how her seven-year-old daughter's only doll had become battered and was tied up with sticking plaster and string.

As a result the little girl had written this note to Father Christmas: "Please, Father Christmas, will you bring me a doll? I don’t mind what kind, even if it is only a rag one."

Her parents wanted to buy Alison a new doll for Christmas but they were in short supply in Britain and very expensive.

So hearing that there were plenty of dolls in America, Mrs Spratt despatched her letter to New York asking for help.

Upon learning about the appeal, La Guardia decided to send a replacement across the Atlantic to Alison along with a note that read:

"Here is a big doll to bring you the wishes of a merry Christmas from the kids of New York City."

La Guardia was reported as having been personally involved in selecting the 21-inch-tall doll and despatching it on a Pan-American Airways plane.

On December 24 the Manchester Evening News reported that Alison was "trembling with excitement" as she waited for the arrival of her doll.

The newspapers were on the look out for good news stories at a time of rationing and had been carefully tracking the doll's progress as it was flown from the States to Bournemouth.

From there it was taken to London and then placed on the 1.10pm Christmas Eve train at Euston. The doll was scheduled to arrive at St Helens at 5.40pm but failed to show.

One might have thought that with the newspaper spotlight on the movements of the doll that British Rail might have ensured its safe arrival.

However it was a somewhat chaotic Christmastime with many of the wartime restrictions still in place.

A newspaper article from the time

A newspaper article from the time

Alison stayed awake at night crying when her promised doll failed to materialise. She had already raided her moneybox and sent a £1 note to American children in hospital as a "thank you" for the Mayor's kind gesture.

The Windle School pupil knew about hospital life having been born with a displaced hip. At first Alison had to be carried into class by her mother and had spent two years in plaster and has had mobility issues through her life.

Her father had waited at St Helens Station for the train's arrival accompanied by a posse of photographers and reporters.

The press people called it a day just before 10pm but Mr Spratt remained until 2am on Christmas morning when the last connection from Euston came and went.

He was determined not to disappoint his daughter but her precious doll was not on board.

The Daily Express under the headline "Vanished – The Doll New York's Mayor Sent To An English Child" wrote how railway detectives in Liverpool and London were investigating the disappearance.

The doll finally turned up at St Helens on December 27 but with its head broken in pieces.

The Daily Mirror quoted Alison's mother saying: "It would break her heart if she knew the doll was smashed. It would be far better to pretend it was lost."

So Mr and Mrs Spratt had decided to get the doll repaired in Manchester before giving it to their child.

And so Alison did have a happy – if belated – Christmas, courtesy of the children and the mayor of New York.

Daughter Sheron Sixsmith got in touch to confirm she still has the doll that her mum Alison, now 82 and living in Billinge, received.

Sheron, 59, said she was delighted when she saw the Facebook post about the doll.

“I didn’t know all of the details of the story,” she said.

“I knew the basic story, didn’t know it had made the national press at the time, I assumed it had been local.

“I played with the doll as a child and knew exactly where it was. She has kept it and she still lives in St Helens.

“Not many people were allowed to have the doll, there was one other child who lived next door to my mum.

“I occasionally let her play with it as well.”

Alison also had two pen pals from the States at that time, Dorothy and Edna, who wrote to her mum for several years after the war had finished

Sheron said that her grandfather, Alison’s dad, had been an auxiliary fireman at Pilks and that Alison remembers they made a glass print and sent it from St Helens to New York as a thank you.