V1 flying bomb incident at the Hayes :Gramophone Company (EMI). 7/7/44

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by CL1, Feb 25, 2010.

  1. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    For info and ref

    The worst incident of the war in Hayes West London occurred in the afternoon of 7th July 1944 when a V1 flying bomb hit one of the surface air-raid shelters at the Gramophone Company (EMI). The monument recalls the names of the 37 people killed in the incident, 12 of who were buried in the Hayes and Harlington Cherry Lane cemetery”.
    This cemetery is under possible threat due to the proposed new runway at Heathrow airport.
     

    Attached Files:

    nicks likes this.
  2. Gage

    Gage The Battle of Barking Creek

  3. Richie B

    Richie B Junior Member

    For info and ref

    The worst incident of the war in Hayes West London occurred in the afternoon of 7th July 1944 when a V1 flying bomb hit one of the surface air-raid shelters at the Gramophone Company (EMI). The monument recalls the names of the 37 people killed in the incident, 12 of who were buried in the Hayes and Harlington Cherry Lane cemetery”.
    This cemetery is under possible threat due to the proposed new runway at Heathrow airport.

    Thanks for posting that.

    Very interesting - I go past the old factory every day on the train on the way to work.

    I never knew.

    Richie
     
  4. eddie chandler

    eddie chandler Senior Member

    This event in New Cross exceeds the amount killed at Hayes and states it was one of the worst civilian disasters of WWII. What was the worst, I would assume that the two big bombs dropped in Japan were by some way!!!

    On the 25th November 1944 New Cross High Street was busy with South Londoners . Woolworths
    on the corner of Goodwood Road, and the adjacent Co-op were packed with shoppers. One report
    mentions that a sought after supply of saucepans had become available and many were queuing
    outside Woolworths in the hope of being able to purchase one. At 12.26 PM there was an
    enormous explosion as a V2 Rocket impacted into the Woolworths store. Contemporary reports from a number of witnesses indicate that the V2 had been seen in its last
    moments of flight, a line drawn across the grey November sky. The store bulged outwards and then imploded and in the carnage 168 people were die and 121 were seriously injured. It was the 251'st Rocket to be successfully launched. This was the worst tragedy in the entire V weapon campaign and one of the worst civilian disasters of World War II. As the store exploded there was blinding flash of light an an enormous roar followed by a dense cloud of smoke and powdered dust. Witnesses several hundred yards away felt the warm blast on their faces,some were physically pushed backward by its force. The Co-Op Store next door also collapsed killing more people inside. The bodies of passers by were flung for great distances, and an army lorry was overturned and destroyed killing its occupants. A double decker bus was spun round causing yet more deaths and injuries,its occupants were seen still sitting in their seats covered in dust.
    There were piles of masonry and pieces of bodies all around, where Woolworths had been was just an enormous gap. The debris stretched from the Town Hall to New Cross Gate station and it was to take 3 days to clear this and to retrieve all the bodies from the debris.Today the site has been totally re-developed but the extent of the damage area can be seen from where the new buildings commence both in the New Cross Road and in surrounding streets. Lewisham council have erected a blue plaque on the building to commemorate the tragedy.

    The site of where this bomb hit is only a few hundred yards up from where Barnes Wallis lived. If memory serves me right there is a picture of a bus after an explosion which is almost directly opposite the house of Barnes Wallis (New Cross Bus garage).
     
  5. gammy

    gammy Junior Member

    I was 7yrs old at the time. I saw and heard the V1 cut out, and flew into an Air Raid shelter, located in Waltham Avenue,the blast crashed the door shut and shook the shelter, which were not very strongly built. I then, unknown to my parents, went to Dawley Road to see where it had struck. That site will stay with me forever. I am now 73yrs old.
     
  6. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Gammy welcome to the forum
    thank you for your update which is most interesting
     
    Last edited: Sep 1, 2022
  7. gammy

    gammy Junior Member

    the bourne farm estate had a v2 rocket strike bourne avenue close to the records site which was an ordanence repair depot during ww2.we also lost a block of houses in waltham avenue numbers 90 92 ish during the blitz. they were rebuilt after the war.
     
  8. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Welcome Gammy.

    If you intend to stay (and you are most welcome) please introduce yourself in approiatte section, people are most genuinely interested to hear about eye witnesses.

    Again welcome and I hope you enjoy.

    Best regrds

    Kev
     
  9. gammy

    gammy Junior Member

    thanks kev as you can see my ability to use forum is limited as is the keyboard ability,bear with me .my memories of ww2 in hayes middx are many as i lived through it. radar was developed at emi,fairy aviation bottom of waltham ave and is now i believe hq to a german company,ironic aint it.
     
  10. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  11. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

  12. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    I took these sunday 22-05-2011.
     
  13. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    The bombing of Coventry was also a big event in 1940 when 300 people were sheltering in the basement of the Department store of Owen - Owen - none came out...and that was just one raid - the centre of the City disappeared including the Cathedral but the many munitions factories were untouched - that time...!..then there was Birmingham - Manchester - Wolverhampton - Liverpool - Southhampton - they all had their share

    Cheers
     
  14. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Yes Tom,people do not realise how the British civilian population suffered at a time when the RAF were not in a good shape to hit back.

    Remember seeing glow of Sheffield burning in the night sky on the left hand and on the right hand,Hull burning in the night sky with the same glow.all from our house.Parachute mines a real fear,I recollect. Bombing would be preluded by flares, turning night into day.Funny,the Luftwaffe could never get into Leeds.

    My grandmother who lived at Torquay throughout the war, wrote to my parents saying she had seen Plymouth burning in the night sky.

    When ever I see the glow of the Scunthorpe steelworks in the night sky,it always reminds me of the war....the plant is at least 20 miles away and weather conditions seem to amplify the glow from the plant.
     
  15. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    Looking at the above makes you wonder that how us; the Allies were classed as Terror Fliegers.
     
  16. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Little Friend

    It was during an early raid on London that Bomber Harris- standing on top of the Air Ministry building - was heard to say - "they are sowing the wind - they will reap the whirlwind "
    and they did...



    Harry -
    I was in Coventry early on before call-up working at the Daimler factory making aero engines - the nightshift seldom had a full shift for air raids- on the way home we would pass a cinema which seemed to advertise a very popular movie - coming - for weeks on end - the night before the showing of this movie a land mine made the cinema disappear - we could only laugh as the Movie was "GONE WITH THE WIND "

    Cheers
     
  17. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    As a matter of interest this home to Barnes Wallis is just 500 yards (Same side) before the V1 crash site. I took this the same day.
     
  18. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    Another victim area taken the same day.
     
  19. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    The above Blue plaque is at Southborough Lane, Bickley, Bromley.
     
  20. Little Friend

    Little Friend Senior Member

    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
    First one of the day; This is at Staveley Road, Chiswick W4.
     

Share This Page