Thames Ditton, Surrey - air raid 1st October, 1940

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by Stafford, Jan 19, 2021.

  1. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    Can anyone provide details of a raid on Greenwood Avenue, Thames Ditton on 1st October, 1940, when four people, in neighbouring properties, were killed (one died on 3rd October).

    Many thanks

    Stafford
     
  2. CL1

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

    Nothing in The Blitz Then and Now vol2 no mention of Thames Ditton on 1st October 1940
    states casualties in London during daylight were 8 killed 41 injured
    At night 30 killed and 164 injured
    Also mentions high flying ME 109's with bombs dropping them on South London but little damaged caused


    CIVILIAN KEVIN WILLIAM SHAYER CHASE

    Regiment & Unit/Ship
    Civilian War Dead

    Date of Death
    Died 01 October 1940

    Age 11 years old

    Buried or commemorated at
    ESHER, URBAN DISTRICT



    Civilian War Dead


    • Country of Service United Kingdom
    • Additional Info of 65 Greenwood Road, Thames Ditton. Son of Philip Cecil Chase, and of Kathleen Mabel Chase. Died at 65 Greenwood Road.
    CIVILIAN KATHLEEN MABEL CHASE
    Regiment & Unit/Ship
    Civilian War Dead

    Date of Death
    Died 01 October 1940

    Age 42 years old

    Buried or commemorated at
    ESHER, URBAN DISTRICT



    Civilian War Dead


    • Country of Service United Kingdom
    • Additional Info of 65 Greenwood Road, Thames Ditton. Daughter of Mr. and Mrs. B. Shayer, of Edgcumbe, Portsmouth Avenue, Thames Ditton; wife of Philip Cecil Chase. Died at 65 Greenwood Road.
    CIVILIAN GRACIE ALEXANDRA ELSON
    Regiment & Unit/Ship
    Civilian War Dead

    Date of Death
    Died 01 October 1940

    Age 22 years old

    Buried or commemorated at
    ESHER, URBAN DISTRICT



    Civilian War Dead


    • Country of Service United Kingdom
    • Additional Info of 67 Greenwood Road, Thames Ditton. Wife of C. R. Elson. Died at 67 Greenwood Road.
    CIVILIAN JEAN ANNE THORBURN CHASE
    Regiment & Unit/Ship
    Civilian War Dead

    Date of Death
    Died 03 October 1940

    Age 9 years old

    Buried or commemorated at
    ESHER, URBAN DISTRICT



    Civilian War Dead


    • Country of Service United Kingdom
    • Additional Info of 65 Greenwood Road, Thames Ditton. Daughter of Philip Cecil Chase, and of Kathleen Mabel Chase. Injured 1 October 1940, at 65 Greenwood Road; died at Cottage Hospital, West Molesey.
     
    Last edited: Jan 19, 2021
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  3. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    Thank you CL1
    That is basically all I can currently find out. I may have to wait until a trip to the Surrey History Centre is allowed!
     
  4. CL1

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

    drop tem an email
    Surrey History Centre temporary closure: COVID-19
    Following the Government's announcement of the National Lockdown, we regret to inform you that Surrey History Centre will remain temporarily closed to the public. Please keep checking our website for further information and updates.

    Although our front doors are currently closed, we plan to maintain our public enquiries service as far as we can, so please email us if you have a question about our collections. We'll also be sharing information about our collections, online talks, activities and other resources via our e-newsletter and on our social media channels.


    regards
    Clive
     
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  5. CL1

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

    Quite possibly a lone bomb or stick of bombs either miss aimed or dropped to assist a scarper back to base
    This did happen regularly
     
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  6. travers1940

    travers1940 Well-Known Member

    Its also in the same borough as the Vickers-Armstrong aircraft factory at Brooklands, which the Germans knew about, and was heavily bombed on 4th Sept 1940, with 83 workers killed.
    Elmbridge Museum Elmbridge at War
     
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  7. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    Interesting. I am not certain how far Brooklands is from Thames Ditton, so I will be digging some maps out when I get the chance latter today.
     
  8. CL1

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

    8 miles
    Many stray bombs hit random targets

    if you look at bomb maps you will see the randomness of bombs dropped during WW2
     
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  9. BFBSM

    BFBSM Very Senior Member

    The two Surrey papers I was able to find online had quite cryptic articles, the relevant pages are attached.
     

    Attached Files:

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  10. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    Patron
    Thank you for adding the two newspaper pdf files. I will look forward to a read, when things quieten down in this household, later this evening.

    I really appreciate everyone's input.

    Stafford
     
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  11. CL1

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

  12. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Aerial view of the area. I would argue that these poor souls were, as the modern euphemism goes, collateral damage.
    bombing survey.png
     
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  13. hutt

    hutt Member

    I've had a look through the 1st AA Division and 49th AA Brigade diaries and couldn't find anything that referred to bombing in this area on this date although raids crossing this part of London around that time are frequently mentioned. 49 AA Brigade diary suggests that 36LAA was manning guns in this area but a diary for this period isn't jumping out but there may be battery diaries and I have one for 79th Bty that were based at one time at Hampton waterworks but not for this date.
    Itdan's image above is interesting as it shows the proximity to Thames Ditton of the waterworks at Hampton, Molesey and Sunbury. I have the same image in a book called Adolf Hitler's Home Counties Holiday Snaps (Nigel J Clarke Publications 1976) and that includes a couple of other Luftwaffe reconnaissance photos that cover the area of Kingston, Surbiton and Thames Ditton. There is an image on page 73 with a photo titled Tolworth that actually has Greenwood Avenue just visible on the top edge. The road pattern, particularly of the new 30s housing developments and the Kingston Bypass stand out particularly well but the Luftwaffe photo analyst on this particular image has picked out the nearby Nash and Thompson (aircraft turrets) engineering works at Tolworth and a balloon or military camp between Chessington and Hinchley Wood.
    Other images in the book on pages 65 and 66 identify targets nearer Kingston and include the Hawkers works, the gas works and power station. and further water works although some I know to be sewerage.
    While it is quite likely that the bombing was random, there were plenty of locations, in particular Hawkers and Nash and Thompson that would warrant specific targeting. Add in the possible night time clarity of the water features such as the Thames and the reservoirs and filter beds and it would seem a good part of London to have a go at!
     
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  14. hutt

    hutt Member

    In Adolf's holiday snaps, there is a reconnaissance photo of Brookland with the aircraft works marked on page 20
     
  15. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    Thank you. It looks like I need to acquire a copy of "Adolph's" book, when I next get some spare cash!
     
  16. hutt

    hutt Member

    I’ve checked another source, London’s Main Line War Damage. it quotes

    On the night of 1st October London was attached only between 20.10 and 23.10, albeit quite heavily and 143 people were killed.

    Then under the reports for each of the railway companies it says

    SR (Southern Railway)

    Worcester Park - Raynes Park. 03.00 Local lines damaged, so all blocked but cleared by 15.20.

    Surbiton - Hampton Court Junction. Both main through lines blocked. Clear 13.30 2/10.

    Greenwood Road is about 100m south of Hampton Court Junction.
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2021
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  17. CL1

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

    Could I ask why you have an interest in this

    Member Pete Wood might be able to help although not seen on forum since May last year
    Might be worth dropping him a pm Civilians killed and wounded in London - test finished
    regards
    Clive
     
  18. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    These are the 4 people believe you are referring to as CL1 shows above:

    UK, World War II Civilian Deaths, 1939-1945
    Name: Kevin William Shayer Chase
    Estimated Birth Year: abt 1929
    Death Date: 1 Oct 1940
    Death Place: Esher, Surrey, England
    Age at Death: 11
    Father: Philip Cecil Chase
    Mother: Kathleen Mabel Chase

    Name: Kathleen Mabel Chase
    Estimated Birth Year: abt 1894
    Death Date: 1 Oct 1940
    Death Place: Esher, Surrey, England
    Age at Death: 46
    Father: B Shayer
    Spouse: Philip Cecil Chase

    Name: Jean Anne Thorburn Chase
    Estimated Birth Year: abt 1931
    Death Date: 3 Oct 1940
    Death Place: Esher, Surrey, England
    Age at Death: 9
    Father: Philip Cecil Chase
    Mother: Kathleen Mabel Chase

    Name: Gracie Alexander Elson
    [Gracie Alexandra Elson]
    Estimated Birth Year: abt 1918
    Death Date: 1 Oct 1940
    Death Place: Esher, Surrey, England
    [Thames Ditton Surrey England]
    Age at Death: 22
    Spouse: C R Elson

    The Chase family were in 65 Greenwood Road and Gracie was in 67
    41234_1831109387_0494-00048.jpg

    TD

    Just in case anyone is wondering Phillip Chase survived the War and married again in 1943
    Philip Cecil Chase
    1893–1977
    BIRTH 08 FEB 1893 • Hampstead, London, England
    DEATH DEC 1977 • Surrey North Western, Surrey, England
    Name: Philip C Chase
    Registration Date: Jul 1943
    [Aug 1943]
    [Sep 1943]
    Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
    Registration District: Surrey South Western
    Inferred County: Surrey
    Spouse: Marjory C Hooley
    Volume Number: 2a
    Page Number: 1251

    For interest I have found that there was a 3rd Chase child but can find nothing more than their birth details - maybe others could resolve
    Name: Robin P Chase
    Registration Date: Jul 1924
    [Aug 1924]
    [Sep 1924]
    Registration Quarter: Jul-Aug-Sep
    Registration District: Kingston
    Inferred County: Surrey
    Mother's Maiden Name: Shayer
    Volume Number: 2a
    Page Number: 831
     
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2021
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  19. Stafford

    Stafford Junior Member

    My main interest in this is Philip Cecil Chase.

    He served during WW1, initially with the 1/9th (County of London) Battalion (Queen Victoria's Rifles), London Regiment, landing in France on 5th November, 1914. He was returned to the UK in January, 1915 having broken his ankle.

    Philip was then commissioned as a Paymaster Sub Lieutenant, in the Royal Naval Reserve, on 25th May, 1915. He served on board HMS Grafton during the Gallipoli Campaign; Salonika Campaign (during which he was sunk whilst on board HMS Clacton.) and Palestine Campaign. He was Mentioned in Despatches during the Palestine Campaign.

    He received the 1914 Star; British War Medal and Victory Medal (with MID Oakleaf) for his service during WW1.

    After the War, he became a Motor Engineer, going into business with his Brother, Charles Keith Chase, who was awarded a Distinguished Service Cross with the Royal Naval Air Service during WW1.

    Philip married Kathleen Mabel Shayer, in Thames Ditton, during 1923. They had three children - Robin (born 1924); Kevin (born 1928) and Jean (born 1931). Philip and his family moved to Greenwood Road during the mid 1930s, where his family was later killed.

    He went on to marry Marjorie Hooley, during 1943.
    Philip also served, during WW2, as a Pilot Officer (Training Branch) in the Air Training Corps.

    After the war, his Company, based in Cobham, Surrey, was involved in manufacturing trolleys, trailers and trucks for general use in maintenance shops, luggage handling and freight handling.

    His wife Marjory died during 1973 and Philip died during 1977.

    I have a number of items, relating to Philip, and I have managed to build up a quite detailed record of his life, especially for his WW1 Military service.
    The loss of his family at Greenwood Road, Thames Ditton, is the first time I have tried to research a WW2 bombing event. I was also trying to discover whether he was in the property, along with his son Kevin, and survived the bombing.

    Needless to say, for the first time in years, when I have time to get out to visit the local Surrey History Centre and the National Archives, it has been wrecked by the pandemic!

    Please accept my sincere thanks for everyone's input and advice. It is very much appreciated.

    Stafford.

    NB I have attached a photograph of Philip Chase in his RAF Uniform
     

    Attached Files:

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  20. CL1

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

    Hello Stafford
    I have sent a message to Pete Wood hopefully he will pick it up and perhaps add more info for you


    regards
    Clive
     
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