November 1944

 
Key To Quoted Map References

Key To Quoted Map References

In this table the data contained in columns marked – No, Date, Time, Place, Map Reference and Crater  – is our transcription of the data in AIR 20/4126 at The National Archives.

The data in – Place Other, Killed and Injured – we have collected from various publications, lists and information from contributors.

Where a “§” appears in the LT column you can find further details on the V2 Rocket website including Launch Time, where fired from and launching Unit.

For date column of the 1,119 incidents logged in AIR 20/4126 –  366 of the incidents have been hand annotated with the letter “N”, 250 with the letter “K”, 66 with “?”, 19 with “Kew Failed”, 26 with “Dud Lighting”  and 392 with no annotation at all. Therefore in this column we have added the corresponding letter, question mark or left blank – for “Kew Failed we have put “KF” and “DL” for “Dud lighting”. If anybody has any idea what these annotations represent we would be very grateful if they could share that information with us. Likewise if anybody knows what “Off Map” reresents we would be grateful for an explanation.

NoDateL TTimePlacePlace otherMap ReferenceCraterKilledInjured
13201-11-44§02:13WoolwichEglinton Road, WoolwichQ 880 96715' x 4'741
13301-11-44§05:11CamberwellDulwich / CamberwellQ 784 93020' x 2'2417
13401-11-44§18:35WansteadWansteadL 852 05531' x 6'
13501-11-44§18:26DeptfordCorner of Shardloes and St Donatts RoadQ 808 95536' x 8½'35155
13601-11-44§22:46DartfordDartford - in gravel pitQ 963 925In sandpit24
13702-11-44§03:30EsherDittonQ 605 854On railway
13802-11-44§10:03LewishamAirburst over Sydenham StationQ 785 910Airburst6
13902-11-44§17:01BansteadBansteadQ 705 806No crater found3
14002-11-44§20:58ThurrockLong Reach / Thurrock, in River ThamesQ 985 970In River
14103-11-44§00:58HornchurchHornchurch, Essex. Fell in field.L 963 03640' x 10'1
14203-11-44§04:38LewishamRailway Sidings at Hither GreenQ 841 92340' x 12'1
14303-11-44§10:26BarkingRiver Thames, near Barking.L 911 006In River1
14404-11-44§10:57IlfordIlford. Fell on golf course.L 872 05546' x 5'3
14504-11-44§17:28Sutton-at-HoneOrchard at Sutton-at-Hone, KentQ 979 87838' 10'
14604-11-44§18:05Great WakeringGreat Wakering, Essex. Rocket fell in minefield.M 415 05530' diameter
14704-11-44§21:49RomfordRomfordL 960 10334' x 11'
14805-11-44§00:37RomfordRomford. Fell in fieldL 937 08834½' x 12'1
14905-11-44§01:30PenshurstHop Field at Penshurst, KentQ 958 61940' x 10'
15005-11-44§07:45WandsworthWandsworth. Fell on Tooting Bec Common. Slight damage to hospital.Q 733 91126' x 6'
15105-11-44§10:55Bermondseyiron girder railway bridge Southwark Park Road, BermondseyQ 791 978Direct Hit151
15205-11-44§12:42RainhamRainham, Essex. Fell on waterlogged land.L 977 02550' diameter
15305-11-44§16:41DagenhamHornchurch, Essex (airburst).L 924 063 *Position of fragments: airburst occured over Squirrels Heath, Hornchurch, at approx. Ref. L 9909Airburst1
15405-11-44§17:13IslingtonIslingtonL 739 06030' x 7'84
15506-11-44§09:49LutonLuton, Bedfordshire. Near Commer Motor Works.L 531 417Direct Hit1631
15606-11-44§10:51Yaldingin a field in YaldingR 136 68858' x 8'5
15706-11-44§14:58BexleyDavenport Road, SidcupQ 923 91640' x 12'26
15806-11-44§17:50Little WarleyLittle Warley, Essex. Fell in field.M 047 08246' x 12'4
15907-11-44§01:08WeeleyWeeley, Essex. Fell in field. Rocket disintegrated before impact.M 594 40127' x 9'
16007-11-44§09:04Canvey IslandCanvey Island, Essex. Fell on marshland.M 209 03760' x 7'
16110-11-44§06:46Off ClactonSea off Clacton.approx M 6000In Sea
16210-11-44§08:15HornseyHornsey. Fell near entrance to railway station.L 753 08232' x 6'820
16310-11-44§11:48ErithErithQ 922 962On roadway224
16410-11-44§14:19StepneyMiddlesex Street / Stepney. Direct hit on tenement block.L 780 004Direct Hit2393
16510-11-44§15:07FulbourneFulbourne, Cambridgeshire.L 973 71645' x 14½'
16611-11-44§15:40Cliffe-at-Hooin Woods at Cliffe-at-Hoo, Kent Rocket completely destroying trees for a radius of 55 feet. R 185 91827' x 5'
16711-11-44§18:37GreenwichShooters HillQ 865 95830' x 8'2625
16811-11-44§19:09Monktonin field in Monkton, KentR 735 84332' x 5'
16911-11-44§23:44SundridgeSundridge, Kent /Brooke Place Ide Hill, KentQ 928 71841' x 16'
17012-11-44§00:08IlfordRochester Gardens, IlfordL 870 06428' x 4'9
17112-11-44§02:29RomfordNoak Hill, Essex. Fell in field.L 983 11645' x 12'
17212-11-44§11:35NazeingNazeing, Essex.L 837 23949' x 13'107
17312-11-44§17:30StoneAirburst over Stone in KentR 002 94835' diameter
17412-11-44§20:49St. MaryleboneWestminster (airburst). This rocket was presumed to have exploded high above the Houses of Parliament.approx L 7202 *Fragments scattered over a wide are of central London.Airburst
17512-11-44§21:56West HamWest Ham. Fell on grassland within railway property.L 835 01845' x 6'
17612-11-44§23:44SwanscombeDisused chalk pit in SwanscombeR 029 93743' x 14'
17713-11-44§04:32Gt. WarleyOckendon / Great Warley, Essex. Rocket disintegrated before impact. Warhead fell in field.M 044 06026' x 7'2
17813-11-44§05:09West HamWest Ham / West Ham. Direct hit on railway sidings. 6 Sets of rail tracks either destroyed or heavily damaged. 12 Rail wagons & coaches destroyed, numerous others severely damaged.L 827 04161' x 6'2
17913-11-44§08:12Off ClactonNorth Sea off Clacton.approx M 9040In Sea
18013-11-44§12:49ErithWest Heath Road, Crayford / ErithQ 919 96536' x 5'545
18113-11-44§16:39GravesendPortland Avenue, GravesendR 093 91520' x 7'484
18213-11-44§22:17Langdon HillsLangdon Hills, Essex.M 121 06634' x 10'18
18313-11-44§22:47SouthboroughSouthboroughR 023 91528' x 10'8
18414-11-44§06:17OrpingtonOrpingtonQ 889 85920' x 4'225
18514-11-44§08:41WoolwichSherrard Road, ElthamQ 868 93738' x 9'892
18614-11-44§09:38GreenwichKinveachy Gardens, CharltonQ 864 97329' x 4½'335
18714-11-44§21:38Dartfordairburst over Dartford Creekapprox Q 9896Airburst
18814-11-44§22:16RayleighRayleigh, Essex.M 228 09840' x 17'
18914-11-44§22:24BermondseySt Olave's Hospital, BermondseyQ 795 98438' x 10'5
19015-11-44§00:05West HamLeytonstone Road, Stratford / West Ham in previously bomb-damaged area.L 837 04342' x 10'23
19115-11-44§02:06SouthgateSouthgate. Rocket disintegrated before impact.L 762 13722' x 4½'6
19215-11-44§05:12RomfordRomford, EssexL 944 06936' x 10'4
19315-11-44§05:50Great ParndonGreat Parndon, Essex.L 881 27760' x 18'1
19415-11-44§09:19Off SouthendSea off Southend.approx M 5010In Sea
19515-11-44§12:50LewishamKilgour Road, Stondon Park, Forest HillQ 804 933Direct Hit1173
19615-11-44§16:43High OngarHigh Ongar, Essex. Fell in field.M 016 22443' x 13'1
19715-11-44§17:17FinchleyFinchley.L 711 08539½' x 10'49
19816-11-44§02:46IslingtonIslington. Direct hit on school building.L 774 04433' x 8'713
19916-11-44§07:40RomfordCollier Row, Romford, Essex.L 943 09641' x 12'1232
20017-11-44§02:41Barkinggas works at Barking. Gasholder set on fire, and water cooling tower severely damaged.L 885 00337' x 7'
20117-11-44§03:27ErithCallender Cable Works, ErithQ 950 98820' x 6'
20217-11-44§04:53West HamWest Ham.L 826 03238' x 6'4
20317-11-44§06:14WansteadWanstead (airburst). Rocket disintegrated before exploding. Fragments fell in neighbouring Snaresbrook and Walthamstow.L 850 071Airburst
20417-11-44§10:56Off ClactonSea off Clacton.M 6315 approxIn Sea
20517-11-44§21:38RainhamRainham, Essex. Fell in fieldL 964 01741' x 7'
20618-11-44§11:13Stanford RiversStanford Rivers, Essex fell in field.L 975 18142' diameter
20718-11-44§11:16IlfordIlford, Essex. ‘Dick Turpin’ public house demolished.L 902 08440' diameter16
20818-11-44§11:28WoolwichWoolwich ArsenalL 913 00030' diameter2
20918-11-44§16:07Theydon MountTheydon Mount, Essex fell in field.L 930 17938' x 10'
21018-11-44§16:08ErithErith on open groundL 926 00038' x 12'
21118-11-44§19:48East HamEast Ham. Fell in cemetery.L 864 05846' x 12'
21218-11-44§22:32DagenhamDagenham, Essex.L 953 05933' diameter229
21319-11-44§02:10WalthamstowWalthamstow. Direct hit on Anderson Shelter.L 812 08830' x 10'410
21419-11-44§07:05CamberwellHardcastle Street, Peckham / CamberwellQ 786 958Direct Hit926
21519-11-44§08:31WandsworthWandsworth.Q 708 90935' x 9'3420
21619-11-44§10:58HackneyHackneyL 796 03930' diameter3
21719-11-44§16:25ChigwellWarren Hill, Chigwell, Essex.L 856 14638' x 8½'
21819-11-44§19:23BexleyFalconwood Avenue, WellingQ 893 95041' x 9'424
21919-11-44§21:18BromleySouthborough Lane, Bromley - Direct hit on Crooked Billet public house.Q 872 86637' x 9'2497
22020-11-44§01:02HarrowPinner / HarrowL 575 08636' x 9½'1
22120-11-44§10:10East HamEast HamL 869 01740' diameter915
22220-11-44§13:15Stapleford TawneyAbridge, Nr Epping / Stapleford Tawney airfield, Essex.L 937 16144' x 12'
22320-11-44§18:53WoolwichPlumstead Marshes / River Thames, near Woolwich.Q 909 999In River
22420-11-44§20:52Waltham Holy CrossWoodford Bridge (Airburst) / Waltham Holy Cross (airburst).L 858 198Airburst
22521-11-44§02:52Shorne MarshesTilbury area / In Thames near Shorne, KentR 139 946In River
22621-11-44§05:37PurfleetErith marshes / Purfleet, Essex (airburst).Q 9698Airburst
22721-11-44§12:01WalthamstowWalthamstowL 832 09728' x 6'88
22821-11-44§12:03Little WalthamLittle Waltham, Essex fell in field.M 155 32123' x 3'1
22921-11-44§13:20ErithErith Oil WorksQ 948 98248' diameter976
23021-11-44§15:17LaindonLaindon, Essex.M 138 09222' x 7'1
23121-11-44§18:01OrpingtonMalvern Road, OrpingtonQ 910 83738' x 7'24
23221-11-44§23:11BatterseaBattersea Park Road at junction with Cabul Road. Fell on open ground.Q 715 95342' diameter411
23322-11-44§13:27Bradwell-on-SeaBradwell-on-Sea, Essex. Fell on marshland.M 462 232In Marsh
23422-11-44§15:03All HallowsMudflats one mile offshore from Allhallows, Isle of GrainR 2797In Marsh
23522-11-44§16:02Great WakeringGreat Wakering, Essex.M 397 05433' diameter14
23622-11-44§19:40Bethnal GreenBethnal Green.L 804 02034' x 3½'2442
23722-11-44§20:34ChislehurstOrchard Rise East, BexleyQ 899 93648' diameter6115
23822-11-44§21:07IlfordIlford. Fell on allotment.L 901 07733' x 11'7
23922-11-44§23:16DagenhamDagenham. Fell on marshland.L 930 01750' x 10'
24023-11-44§01:53West HamSilvertownL 8301Airburst1
24123-11-44§19:33Foulness IslandWestwick / Foulness Island, Essex. Fell in field.M 436 11837' x 11'
24223-11-44§20:13FinsburyFinsbury, City Road Basin canal.L 764 023Waterlogged18
24323-11-44§20:15Bowers GiffordBowers Gifford, Essex fell on rubbish dumpM 185 04147' x 15'
24424-11-44§03:37ChigwellWest Ham / Chigwell, Essex. Fell in FieldL 895 13144' x 11'
24524-11-44§08:00Waltham Holy CrossWaltham Cross (airburst)L 8320 approxAirburst
24624-11-44§10:45BraughingBraughing, HertfordshireL 835 45532' x 8'
24724-11-44§10:52IlfordIlford, EssexL 893 05317' x 4'521
24824-11-44§12:02West HamForeshore of River Thames at West Ham.Q 863 987In River
24924-11-44§13:59ChilderditchTillingham / Childerditch, Essex. Fell in field.M 068 05339' x 11'
25024-11-44§20:32PoplarPoplarL 810 026Direct Hit1450
25125-11-44§09:25WansteadWanstead.L 860 10039' x 12'126
25225-11-44§10:35ChislehurstAirburst Cookham Road, SidcupQ 9488Airburst
25325-11-44§11:16HolbornHigh Holborn. Direct hit on Warwick Court.L 753 007Direct Hit540
25425-11-44§11:34Gt. WarleyGreat Warley, Essex. Fell in field.M 043 07346' x 12'
25525-11-44§12:26DeptfordWoolworths/Co-op, New Cross RoadQ 806 960Direct Hit168123
25626-11-44§02:25Off ClactonSea off Clacton.M 8020 approxIn Sea
25726-11-44§05:30IlfordIlfordL 904 04443' diameter88
25826-11-44§08:10Off OrfordnessSea off Orfordness.M 8170 approxIn Sea
25926-11-44§11:02RainhamRainham, Essex. Fell on waste ground.L 966 02138' x 8'230
26026-11-44§11:34ChigwellChigwell, Essex.L 879 10747' x 11'16
26126-11-44§12:57WalthamstowWalthamstow.L 835 10935' x 12'117
26226-11-44§13:45PoplarPoplar. Direct hit on church.L 818 000Direct Hit419
26326-11-44§14:00BillericayBillericay, Essex.M 117 151Not Available2
26426-11-44§17:40CranhamCranham. Fell on waste ground.M 022 06932' x 7'2
26526-11-44§20:07HorndonHorndon, EssexM 109 03138' x 9'
26626-11-44§21:05HertingfordburyHertingfordbury, Hertfordshire.L 758 31732' x 9'
26726-11-44§23:25Canvey IslandCanvey Island. Fell in Holehaven Creek.M 206 013In River
26827-11-44§16:16ChislehurstLamorbey Park Hotel, SidcupQ 908 91934' x 6'6
26927-11-44§22:05WoolwichWoolwich ArsenalQ 886 981Direct Hit570
27027-11-44§23:14ChingfordChingford. Fell in reservoir.L 820 143In reservoir1
27128-11-44§16:20Off FoulnessSea off Foulness.Off Map M 5000 approxIn Sea
27228-11-44§20:16StepneyStepney (Airburst) / Poplar (airburst).L 795 010Airburst3
27328-11-44§22:03FoulnessEast Newlands, Essex. Fell in field.Off Map M 478 13245' diameter
27428-11-44§23:35BurwashBurwash, Sussex. Fell in woodland.Off Map R 093 43831' diameter
27529-11-44§03:13BarlingBarling, Essex. Fell on marshland.Off Map M 385 08866' x 9'
27629-11-44§10:55SandonSandon, Essex.M 195 20337' x 13'2
27729-11-44§15:14BradwellBradwell, Essex.Off Map M 435 22432' diameter
27829-11-44§19:50PoslingfordPoslingford, Suffolk. Rocket disintegrated before impact.Off Map M 223 68327' x 6½'
27929-11-44§20:21WoolwichGreen Lane, New ElthamQ 878 92425' x 8'654
28029-11-44§21:12BexleyRochester Way, BexleyQ 901 93726' x 9'62
28129-11-44§23:45GravesendGravesend, near RN Sea SchoolR 095 929Direct Hit862
28229-11-44§23:53EdmontonEdmonton. Fell in allotments.L 793 12333' x 7'5
28330-11-44§00:09LeytonLeytonstone / Leyton. Fell in park.L 843 06748' x 4'1
28430-11-44§01:10GreenwichSunfields Place, GreenwichQ 850 96229' x 6'1950
153IncidentsNovember 1944 Totals6042288
Transcription of The Ministry of Home Security list of "BIG BEN" (V2 rocket) incidents in November 1944. National Archives Document Reference - AIR 20/4126 - Data used by permission of The National Archives
 Posted by at 10:55 am

  27 Responses to “November 1944”

  1. As regards my memories, bearing in mind that I was very small at the time:

    My two sisters and I were playing in the road (Malvern Road) with our neighbour’s (the Leitham’s) children, on the afternoon of the 21st November 1944. Dad was away in the RAF and Mum was in Orpington doing the shopping. Suddenly, everything went black (I don’t know if we were knocked out) and then all around us was chaos. The V2 had landed plum in the middle of the road, leaving an enormous crater, the bungalows near to it were completely destroyed on either side. Our house, like many others, was badly damaged and we were re-housed in Avalon Road until after the war when our house was repaired. It seemed almost immediately the road was full of emergency services and I remember a van appeared, a hatch opened up in the side and we were all given tea. Then someone took us further up the road to a house owned by Mr and Mrs Evans where we stayed until Mum eventually found us. God knows how she must have felt when she came into the road and saw the devastation; she thought she had lost her three children in an instant. Mum immediately noticed that one of my sister’s had blood on her back and she was rushed to hospital where shrapnel was removed, some, close to her spine remained with her for the rest of her life. The crater was only a hundred yards from where we were playing and we all considered it a miracle that we were not killed. It appears, according to the records that nobody died in the attack, which if true, is amazing.

    Malvern Road had it’s fair share of bad luck during the war, earlier on a bomb landed on a house near the top of the road killing the occupants and a V1 landed at the back of us knocking down ours and many of our neighbours sheds and breaking windows.

    • Hi Tony, my father Ernest John Gregory lived at number 4 Malvern Road, Orpington during the war, his house was completly destroyed by the blast. Incredibly the family survived despite being buried alive! I’d dearly love to hear from you if you still access this site or receive notifications. My name is Chris Gregory, my email is chrisjo40@yahoo.co.uk please drop me an email if you get a spare minute. All the best, Chris

  2. What do the map refrences refer to? They dont seem to be OS references or lat and long? I am doing a project and i need to pinpoint the exact locations of the V2 attacks. Any help would be great. Thanks

  3. I have recently spotted an entry in the burial register for St Just in Roseland, Cornwall:
    Sylvia Maud DASH, aged 39, buried 18th Nov 1844. A note in the register states “killed by enemy action at 81 Portland Avenue Gravesend”
    I suspect she was a victim of this V2 attack. is there a list of casualties or a press report anywhere?

    • From Commonwealth War Graves Commission website all I have been able to find as having died in the incident are as follows:
      Surname Forename Age Additional Information
      DASH SYLVIA MAUD 39 OF 81 PORTLAND AVENUE. DAUGHTER OF THE LATE ORPHEW JAME DASH AND MAUD DASH, OF ST. MAWES, CORNWALL. DIED AT 81 PORTLAND AVENUE.
      FINNEY ELLEN GERTRUDE 50 OF 83 PORTLAND AVENUE. DAUGHTER OF WALTER AND ELLEN BROOKS, OF LETTUCE BARN, IPSWICH, SUFFOLK; WIFE OF JOSEPH HENRY FINNEY. DIED AT 83 PORTLAND AVENUE.
      KEER PATRICIA 15 OF 81 PORTLAND AVENUE. DAUGHTER OF WILLIAM JOHN KEER. DIED AT 81 PORTLAND AVENUE.
      SPRIGMORE DAISY ELIZABETH 59 WIDOW OF FREDERICK SPRIGMORE. DIED AT 80 PORTLAND AVENUE.

      • Found a fifth:
        Surname Forename Age Additional Information
        FERGUSON ETHEL MARY 54 OF 84 PORTLAND AVENUE. WIDOW OF JOHN FERGUSON. INJURED 13 NOVEMBER 1944, AT PORTLAND AVENUE; DIED AT GRAVESEND AND NORTH KENT HOSPITAL.

        Bob Ogley in his books “Kent at War” & “Doodlebugs and Rockets” states that five were killed and 16 seriously injured also that the explosion damaged the Co-Op Store.

        Lewis Blake in his book “Bolts From The Blue” states “At 4.40pm four lives were lost and 84 people injured in Portland Avenue, Gravesend.”

  4. Regarding incident No.186, November 14th 1944

    My father and Grandmother were living at 110 Kinveachy Gardens at the time of the V2 strike listed as incident No.186 and I remember him recounting to me that he was preparing a fire in the fireplace of the living room in the morning when a huge explosion sent dust, rubble and soot down the chimney. When the dust had cleared he could see that the houses opposite No.110 had been severely damaged. My Grandfather added in his memoirs that the rocket had impacted “in Marion Park behind the houses opposite No.110, a lot of damage had occurred around the area”. He was sent home from duty in Belgium for 4 days and arranged for my Grandmother and Father to be evacuated to North West England.

    Does anyone else have any accounts of this particular impact? Obviously this incident has great significance for our family because if the V2 had landed just a short distance closer to No.110 then a whole line of our faimly would never have been born.

    Regards,
    Antony Seville

    Father: Ronald Seville
    Grandfather: Ernest Seville
    Grandmother: Elsie Seville

    • To quote from Lewis Blakes “Bolt from the Blue”

      A trio of rockets fell on south east London during the morning of 14 November. Petts Wood was shaken awake by the first of these at 6.25am. In Bushey Avenue and Towncourt Lane two died and 25 suffered injury. The next destination at 8.4Oam was Sherrard Road, Eltham, by Well Hall station, killing eight people at Nos.50-60, and injuring 92. Casualties included ‘clippies’ at the bus terminus (now re-located). Alsatians proved their worth by indicating the positions of several trapped survivors. Scarcely half an hour later, a rocket broke-up over Charlton, with the warhead exploding on council houses in Kinveachy Gardens. Three died at Nos.79-83, and 35 were injured. In a million-to-one unlucky chance a segment of the missile fell through the roof of 24 Aldeburgh Street, over a mile away, killing a 60-year-old man as he lay in bed.

    • My family lived just around the corner in Flamstead, I was yet to be born. There seem to be different numbers of dead, seemingly 1 or 3. My mother only told me of one death, a lady who was hanging her washing out at the time, they never found any remains. Unfortunately, I do not have her name.

  5. Thank you very much, both my father and grandfather have now passed away and so all I have is the accounts they left us with.

  6. I am now 76 years of age and living in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. I was born in Gravesend on 13 November 1938 and was living with my parents and older brother John at 36 Malvina Avenue when in the afternoon of 13 November 1944 a V2 rocket landed in Portland Avenue, near Echo Square.
    At the precise moment the rocket landed we (a few neighbourhood friends and cousins) were celebrating my 6th birthday with a meagre meal of goodies that my mother had somehow accumulated. The explosion caused some plaster to fall from the ceiling and our French windows to burst open. A baby cousin in a high chair was knocked to the floor but, like the rest of us,was uninjured. My mum who was in the adjoining kitchen was showered by glass from a shattered window but was also uninjured. We all rushed into the garden and saw a huge pall of black smoke rise from where the rocket landed. My mum, a salt-of-the-earth working class mother, said to me “There you are, robert, Hitler has sent you a birthday present”! The event is firmly fixed in my memory because it was my birthday. I still retain many other memories of my days growing up as a young boy in war-time Gravesend. My family moved to Tasmania in July 1949.

  7. On 25th November 1944, exactly a fortnight after my 9th birthday, my father took me up to London to go to Gamages store in High Holborn. We caught the train from Wimbledon Chase, our nearest station, to Holborn Viaduct station which I remember was in a very sorry state. We walked the short distance to Gamages past more bomb damaged buildings and went up to one of the upper floors where there was a tool department that my father wanted to see. We had only just arrived when there was an explosion, not as I recall particulsrly loud but more a deep thud, and the whole building shook. Looking out of the window we could see a really dense column of black smoke rising up and forming what we would later call a mushroom cloud.
    We knew it was a V2, but until reading the details on your site, I never knew exactly where the rocket had landed – I didn’t know in which direction the view from the window was – but now I know it fell on Warwick Court near the junction of High Holborn and Grays Inn Road, not very far away from Gamages. To think that I had only come back from evacuation to relatives in Scarborough a few weeks before but returned to London as my parents thought it was fairly safe by then. With V1s and V2s, how wrong could they be – but we all survived!

  8. When I was about 13 years old a V2 Rocket fell on homes in Milton Place Gravesend Kent, killing the Syd Lumley of whom was well known in Gravesend Kent outside of the ‘Fort Gardens.

    On Sunday 24th Sept ’17 I went to a 40’s day held at the ‘Fort Gardens’ near where the rocket fell and there was a stall regarding the ‘ V1 Doodle bug’ but they did not know anything about the V2 can any give me more detail relating to that incident as I cannot find any mention of it online.

    Any information would be very much appreciated

    • I think this would be incident number 281 which took place at 23:45 on Wednesday 29 November 1944. It is recorded as being near the RN Sea School which I believe would have been HMS Gordon which later became the Merchant Navy Sea School. It also seems that even though a Royal Navy Establisment taking in Royal Navy recruits it actually trained personnel for the Merchant Navy.
      The records we have indicate that 8 were killed and 62 Injured. These are the details of the 8 that were killed.

      ARTHUR STROUD 54 OF 24 MILTON PLACE. DIED AT 24 MILTON PLACE.
      THOMAS KENNA 36 OF 24 MILTON PLACE. SON OF THOMAS AND ANNE DOYLE KENNA, OF 30 RIALTO COTTAGES, SOUTH CIRCULAR ROAD, DUBLIN, IRISH REPUBLIC; HUSBAND OF RITA ALISON KENNA. DIED AT 24 MILTON PLACE.
      ERNEST OLIVER QUINNELL 14 OF 9 GORDON PLACE. SON OF HENRY JOHN AND EDITH EMILY QUINNELL. DIED AT 9 GORDON PLACE.
      SIDNEY LUMLEY 42 SON OF MR. AND MRS. C. LUMLEY, OF 2 WHITEHALL PLACE. DIED AT HARMER STREET.
      TERENCE DAVID LOCK AGED 18 MONTHS. SON OF MARGARET ROSE LOCK. DIED AT 24 MILTON PLACE.
      GAYNAM THOMAS JOHN LOCK 14 SON OF L/CPL. GAYNAM ERNEST LOCK, CORPS OF MILITARY POLICE. DIED AT 24 MILTON PLACE.
      EDITH EMILY QUINNELL 20 OF 9 GORDON PLACE. DAUGHTER OF HENRY JOHN AND EDITH EMILY QUINNELL. DIED AT 9 GORDON PLACE.
      WINIFRED MARY SUGGITT 33 FIREWATCHER. DAUGHTER OF MR. AND MRS. JOHN HAREWOOD, OF 91A SKIPTON ROAD, HARROGATE, YORKSHIRE; WIFE OF GEORGE HERBERT SUGGITT, OF 6 MARINA DRIVE, NORTHFLEET. DIED AT FORT HOUSE, MILTON PLACE.

  9. Reference incident 281

    Further to your information about the Gravesend V2 rocket attack at Milton Place on 29th November 1944, I would like to add the following information;
    At that time, my 14 year old mother Violet (nee Rose) was living in 2 Whitehall Place, Gravesend, situated opposite the Naval premises. With her mother and father, she lived in the top floor rooms, sharing their bedroom. Sid Lumley lived in the middle first floor rooms and Mrs Parker lived on the ground floor.
    She knew Sid quite well, that he was a band leader who played the piano, in particular at St Faiths Hall, situated at the top of Coal Road (now Ordinance Road) She fondly remembers how, when he had his friends around to tea, he would buy Lyons apple pies and always saved one for her.
    On the night of the explosion, my mum was in the bedroom fast asleep. She was suffering a heavy cold and had been given some warm milk laced with whisky. She remembers being shaken awake by her mum (who later said she thought Violet had been killed, as she couldn’t wake her) to find parts of the ceiling collapsed into the room.
    She quickly got dressed and with her parents, left the building and they were directed to the Holy Trinity church, at the top of Coal Road. This was also mum’s school. She remembers that en route, they passed groups of men searching wrecked houses with spots lights and were told to be quiet.
    On arrival at the school, she saw one of her teachers, Miss Scullard, who said “Oh Violet, I’ve never seen you looking so black!” Mum said that for months afterwards, she constantly had a smell of the debris and dust.
    Apart from Sid Lumley, who was apparently killed whilst walking home from a night out, the only other person she knew killed was Ernie Quinell, a school friend who lived nearby. He was disabled and had irons on his legs.
    They returned to 2 Whitehall Place to collect their belongings. The house was inhabitable and they were subsequently re-housed on the Kings Farm estate in Gravesend.

  10. Re: Incident Number 227
    Just before the war my parents bought a brand new 3 bed semi in Trevose Road E17.
    I’ve recently found the details. Deposit of £40 on a sale price of £750. My mother spent the war
    working as a clippie on the buses even walking on raid nights to Edmonton garage for her shift. At
    noon on the 21st November 1944 8 months pregnant with me a V2 landed between Longacre and Trevose
    Road (location is incorrect on site) slightly into the forest. It demolished 6 houses in Trevose
    Road and partially destroyed another 12. She was alone upstairs in the front bedroom as it struck,
    but by a miracle the door blew off hit her and wedged itself at an angle against the iron bed frame,
    with her underneath, a second later the entire first floor side of the house including the chimney
    collapsed in the bedroom, but that heavy door saved her. In fact after they dug her out they found
    she had no injuries at all, very lucky my Mum.

  11. Reference Incident Number 284

    I lived in Reynolds Place SE3 in the 1980s and our neighbours who were children in 1944 told us about the V2 strike that wiped out houses in the next street. I had wondered why there were new flats there and the Victorian terrace houses that filled the streets in that estate were missing. They remembered it coming down in the middle of the night with a huge bang and shaking everything off the walls. They said only 1 person of the listed dead was in Reynolds Place, even though it landed in the next street, which shows how highly localised a V2 strike was. The person who died survived the strike, but were trapped in an upstairs bedroom by debris, and the gas line to their fireplace broke and they died from breathing the escaping gas before they could be rescued.

  12. Re no 164. It may have been a tenement block but it was also the site of the Norwegian Naval college in London.

  13. RE: Incident Number 212

    While tracing my family tree, my mum told me of the V2 rocket that hit the corner of our road. I didn’t know the date but managed to look it up on your map. Our house was built in 1903 & had 5 generations living in it on the night of the attack, my great nan was sleeping downstairs after having a stroke, my nan was with her, the rocket hit the corner of Fourth Ave & Dagenham Rd. As ours was the first house it took some of the blast & knocked down part of the staircase, wall & damaged the fireplace ( still in the house today) if my great nan had been in her bedroom, she wouldn’t have survived, but luckily they were downstairs &survived.

  14. I lived in Luton, Bedfordshire during the war and I remember the V2 landing on 6th November 1944. It was five days before my 4th birthday and it is my most vivid memory of the war. I was in our dining room in the morning and there was suddenly a huge bang. I ran to my mother who had heard the bang and thought that it was in the direction of the house of her stepmother, so we immediately went off to walk to her house. Very quickly we discovered a lot of damage in streets at the Commer Cars truck factory which was about half a mile from our home. We walked round the damage and got to my mother’s stepmother’s terraced house which was empty. She had gone shopping and returned soon after we arrived. When we went inside we saw a large crack down the wall inside, bur the house did not appear to be seriously damaged. It turned out that 19 people had been killed and 196 injured, and about 1500 houses had been damaged, and the new Commer dining room had been destroyed. The rocket landed at about 9:50 am and the dining room was empty. If it had landed only 10 minutes later the dining room would have had lots of people inside having tea and may more would have been killed. When we got home we saw that the windows in the house opposite us had been blown out, but we had no damage.

  15. Incident 198
    My parents Leonard and Winifred Harris and my sister Patricia then aged 8 Were living at 113 Mildmay Road Islington which is near the school on which the V2 landed. My sister went to the school. I was not born until June 1945. My mother told me about the rocket attack. That night was very cold and my father was on leave from Chatham. Because it was so cold all three decided to sleep in one bed. They were woken by the explosion which shattered the windows which faced the school. My sisters bedroom, which fortunately she did not sleep in that night was covered with broken glass and her bed was covered with many sharp shards of glass. Had she been in it she would have been cut very badly, but as she slept that night at the other side of the house, where the windows did not break, she and my parents were fine.

  16. My father lived in hardcastle street as a boy ..he and his family were bombed out …… He remembers him and his brother being ordered to stack sewing machines from a corset factory by a ARP warden when on their way to school
    Hope this helps

    Regards Paul Marsh

  17. Should add …. Hardcastle street se15 …Peckham London ..

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