Incident Number 202

v2 rocket . upperton rd early morning .plaistow e13 personal experience.aged 14years

WE LIVED IN NO.123 UPPERTON RD.E13.IN A TERRACED HOUSE ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE ROAD. FOR SAFETY THE 3 CHILDREN SLEPT BENEATH A GATE LEGGED TABLE DOWNSTAIRS, MY FATHER WAS SLEEPING UPSTAIRS. WE WERE AWOKEN BY A LOUD EXPLOSION OF A V2 ROCKET LANDING ABOUT 50 YARDS AWAY ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF THE ROAD , NO ONE IN THE FAMILY WAS INJURED BUT THE HOUSE WAS BADLY DAMAGED AND LATER CONDEMNED WE WERE MOVED A SHORT DISTANCE AWAY TO INNERSKILLING RD. THE HOUSE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY REPAIRED AND WE RETURNED AFTER THE WAR. IT IS THE PENULTIMATE HOUSE STANDING ON THE WEST SIDE. WE HAD MOVED THERE AFTER OUR HOME IN 23 CHARFORD RD WAS DESTROYED IN SEPTEMBER 1940. THE UPPERTON ROAD AREA WAS MUCH BOMBED DURING THE WAR AND AS CHILDREN WE PLAYED ON THE MANY BOMB SITES THERE.PRIOR TO THE V2 INCIDENT OUR HOUSE WAS THE PENULTIMATE HOUSE AT THE EASTERN END OF THE ROAD. MUCH OF THE WEST END WAS A WOOD STORE WITH A LARGE CIRCULAR E.W.S TANK., THE STORE SUPPLIED TIMBER FOR REPAIR OF BOMBED HOUSES.I HAD A MALE STAG BEETLE FOR SOME TIME, IT HAD EMERGED FROM THE WOOD PILE UPON EMERGING.I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW IF INCIDENT 202 WAS THE ONE I RECALL. AS CHILDREN WE WERE EVACUATED WITH MY MOTHER TO CHARLBURY IN OXFORDSHIRE BUT RETURNED HOME TO CHARFORD RD AFTER ONE WEEK.

KENNETH BAKER Prof EMERITUS.UCD.