0199 @ Romford

Incident Number 199
@ 07:40 on Thursday 16 November 1944

Other info:

From http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RomfordHistory/message/3017?l=1 and used with the kind permission of Phil Steer: According to “”Ordeal in Romford”” the V2 rocket to which you refer fell on
Collier Row Lane / Rosedale Road on 16th November 1944. There were 13
fatalities and 34 houses were demolished. The names of those killed by the
rocket:

Adeline Attwood 49 17 Collier Row Lane
Florence Ada Copsey 35 15 Collier Row Lane
Leonard Keith Copsey 8 15 Collier Row Lane
John Frederick Earl 13 11 Collier Row Lane
Minnie Earl 42 11 Collier Row Lane
Ronald James Earl 11 11 Collier Row Lane
Ivy Edith Kathleen Key 33 7 Oaks Avenue (at 15 Collier Row Lane)
Maureen Edith Sheila Key 6 7 Oaks Avenue (at 15 Collier Row Lane)
Blanche Mary Larner 48 54 Rosedale Road
Betty Mitchell 16 19 Collier Row Lane
Lilian Mitchell 57 19 Collier Row Lane
John Edward Roberts 46 15 Collier Row Lane
Lily Elizabeth Whiteman 47 50A Rosedale Road

As I’ve said recently, behind every ‘name’ recorded there are real stories
of real people experiencing real suffering and real sadness. Laurie, you
will be only to aware of that, being friends with Johnny Earl. I cannot
imagine what it must have been like to find his house a ‘still smoking
crater’. Looking at the list of names and addresses, one can also picture
another story – that of Ivy Key, visiting her fiend Florence Copsey at No.
15 Collier Row Lane, just across the road from her home in Oaks Avenue. One
can imagine Ivy and Florence chatting whilst their young children Leonard
and Maureen play together. Also in the house is John Roberts – presumably a
lodger – perhaps sitting in another room reading. And then, without warning
there is a massive explosion, and their lives have ended. All so very sad.

Best Regards, Phil
Romford, Essex

P.S. These and all other civilians who lost their lives in the town are
commemorated on the Romford War Memorial. A transcription appears on my
“”Romford Now & Then”” website (see Wartime | War Memorials | Romford), along
with links to their CWGC Records of Commemoration (click on each name). If
you have the time, please do take a look and ‘remember them’.

P.P.S. There are a couple of photos of the aftermath of this ‘incident’ in
Brian Evans’ book “”Romford, Collier Row & Gidea Park”” (plates 151a & 151b).