UK Bomb Damage. (Still visible now)

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by raf, Jul 12, 2006.

  1. BC610E

    BC610E Junior Member

    V2 crater in East Norfolk, vague crop-marking on Google Earth at 52 30 47.50N/001 34 39.30E, fired from Holland October 11th 1944 causing minor damage to local houses. Visibility is better from B1136 road which runs to the north of the impact site.
     
  2. gaspirator

    gaspirator Member

  3. archivist

    archivist Well-Known Member

    There were three or four bomb craters in the woods at Annfield Plain, Co Durham. They attracted no particular attention until the by-pass was built (1980's). One of them is still clearly visible by the side of the road, probably more still in the woods. One of them was allegedly turned into a small ornamental lake on the other side of the by-pass in what is now a small industrial estate.

    I have seen photos (on the web) of this lake with a description stating that it narrowly missed the Ransome and Marles bearing factory. Unfortunately, that can't be true as the factory was newly built and opened in 1953!

    The craters were caused by bombs jettisoned from a German bomber which was being pursued by RAF fighters after it tried to attack the huge steelworks at Consett.
     
  4. Ham & Jam

    Ham & Jam Member

    I live in a small village in Kent called Vigo. Its near Meopham and is situated on the top of North Downs.
    It is built on the edge of Trossley Country Park and the woods are 50 metres from my house, I walk my dog over there every day, there are numerous bomb craters in the woods, possibly by enemy aircraft missing London, but more likely, as I have been told by an old hand, because the woods were used as officer and officer cadet training areas between the wars and during WW2. So maybe a valuable target. There are still visible trenches that would have been used for training because the term 'Blitzkrieg' had not been heard of then. Most of the craters have been recorded and have been marked with stajes in the ground some are still 20-30 feet deep.
    Also at the edge of the downs there is a large concrete emplacement cut into the hill over looking the downs, where they had anti aircraft guns, although slightly over grown now you still get a good view of Maidstone etc on a bright day. I am led to believe that this was put in because it over looks what was known as 'doodle bug alley' (the direct flight path to London) If anyone would like some pictures I can take some and upload them, Just say the word.
     
  5. Packhow75

    Packhow75 Senior Member

    I recall about 35 years ago as a child being out on a walk with parents near Fort Halstead on the edge of Sevenoaks and being near a section of woodland which had signs on the edge of it warning of the presence of Butterfly Bombs... no idea exactly where this was now - but wonder if (a) the wood is still there (b) the signs... and (c) the bombs...

    Tim
     
  6. CL1

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

    I live in a small village in Kent called Vigo. Its near Meopham and is situated on the top of North Downs.
    It is built on the edge of Trossley Country Park and the woods are 50 metres from my house, I walk my dog over there every day, there are numerous bomb craters in the woods, possibly by enemy aircraft missing London, but more likely, as I have been told by an old hand, because the woods were used as officer and officer cadet training areas between the wars and during WW2. So maybe a valuable target. There are still visible trenches that would have been used for training because the term 'Blitzkrieg' had not been heard of then. Most of the craters have been recorded and have been marked with stajes in the ground some are still 20-30 feet deep.
    Also at the edge of the downs there is a large concrete emplacement cut into the hill over looking the downs, where they had anti aircraft guns, although slightly over grown now you still get a good view of Maidstone etc on a bright day. I am led to believe that this was put in because it over looks what was known as 'doodle bug alley' (the direct flight path to London) If anyone would like some pictures I can take some and upload them, Just say the word.

    Please do

    thank you

    regards
    Clive
     
  7. Eddie Woolley

    Eddie Woolley Junior Member

    Hi everyone, my family lived in the Leyton area from the 1890s until the 1970s when we moved to Australia.
    During the war my Nan & Grandad lived at no. 64 Grosvenor Rd, an L shaped street. On Friday the 30th June 1944 my dad who was 18 at the time and recently called up into the army was home on leave (Grandad was away in the Navy and my uncle Bob was overseas with the 56th Recce) when they heard the unmistakeable sound of a V1 (Doodlebug) overhead.
    When they heard the engine cutout they decided to head out into the Anderson shelter where they waited for the explosion.
    The V1 landed at the end of their street in the corner of the L, not more than 100m away. It flattened all the houses in the vicinity and damaged many more in the surrounding streets. When my Nan and Dad left the shelter they looked at their house and all the windows, dooors and roof had been blown off. My Nan apparently said, "Oh no, what's your father going to say?" My dad replied with, "It weren't our bloody fault".
    Dad spent the rest of the day and night digging through the rubble assisting with the search for survivors.
    I have attached an interesting document I found among my Nan's papers after she passed away.
    My father was also at home on 30th June 44 when the VI fell, our house must have taken the full works and Dad was killed. We lived at 34 King Edward Road which formed the L shape referred to with Grosvenor Road. I survived due to being just 10 days old and still in Stratford Maternity Unit. Mum and baby me were due to have come home that day but medical reasons kept us in Stratford. I believe in the man in the sky who determines when it's your turn, or not.
     
  8. CL1

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

    Eddie welcome to the Forum
    thank you for posting

    WOOLLEY, EDWARD ANDREW

    Rank:
    Civilian
    Date of Death:
    30/06/1944
    Age:
    28
    Regiment/Service:
    Civilian War Dead

    Reporting Authority
    LEYTON, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH
    Additional Information:
    of 34 King Edward Road. Son of Edward Henry Francis and Florence E. Woolley, of 13 Gresham Gardens, Send, Surrey; husband of Doris Woolley. Died at 34 King Edward Road.

    regards
    Clive
     
  9. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  10. Blutto

    Blutto Banned

    Two houses in the Dalston & Stoke Newington area, in which my father and grand parents lived in prior to moving out of London in 1938, were both flattened by bombing and since rebuilt. A timely move I reckon.
     
  11. ploughman

    ploughman Junior Member

  12. magpie1944

    magpie1944 Junior Member

    Reply to Ham and Jam re Vigo and 'bomb damage'
    This site was a pre Officer Cadet Training Unit from 1942 to 1946 and was never bombed although there were one or two near misses with V1's. The concrete platform on the escarpment was in fact a map reading platform. The site never had AA guns or any other form of defence as it was thought that the wooded nature of the area was sufficient camouflage. A potted history can be found on the Vigo Parish website on http://www.vigo-kent.org/History.htm and if anyone wants more detailed info please contact me via my email address on that page.
    Paul.
     
  13. Capt.Sensible

    Capt.Sensible Well-Known Member

    A tree which was speared by railings during a World War II bomb explosion has been preserved for display.
    Bombs fell on Weston-super-Mare in January 1941, leaving buildings destroyed and this particular Grove Park tree embedded with park railings

    http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-22307787
     
  14. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    A bit of a late reply but in a village in the Purbeck area of Dorset, there is a pub which a few years ago needed a new thatched roof. When the thatchers stripped off the old roof, to their utter amazement they found a German bomb -unexploded of course. Village elders remembered the raid but there it was quietly watching all those pints being sunk. I think there had been a hole in the roof after the bomb fell and a quick patch up without too careful a look. Does make you wonder.
    Sylvia
     
  15. BRI54

    BRI54 Junior Member

    Gibson street bomb damage.jpg Hi Peter is this damage that you mention,I pass it every day and never knew of this
     
  16. TheFonz

    TheFonz Junior Member

    Interesting about the cemetery. There is a cemetery in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where I grew up. Part of the Battle of Baton Rouge in 1862 was fought in the cemetery, and damage from the minie balls can be seen on the older headstones. The damage seen in the British ones reminds me of it. With the exception of government buildings, the cemeteries may be one of the last places to show blitz damage in another 100 years or so.
     
  17. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Just came across this image thought I'd post it re the Fauld explosion..........

    On the morning of November 27, 1944, a huge explosion took place after the accidental ignition of 3,500 tons of explosives stored by the RAF in a disused gypsum mine. Upper Castle Hayes Farm was completely obliterated, and 70 people were killed. The crater remains, 90 feet deep and a quarter of a mile across. The Cock Inn in Hanbury, half a mile away from the blast, was severely damaged, and was later completely rebuilt. Helping the landlady of The Cock, Mrs Zucca, is L.A.C. J. Gair, who was blown from his bicycle while riding through the village when the explosion occurred
     

    Attached Files:

    Guy Hudson likes this.
  18. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    Here in Germany even my small hometown (420 inhabitants) without the slightest military significance in the middle of nowhere holds the “feature” of preserved bomb damage :pipe:
    But in London there is a kind of damage most probably unique in the world: caused by a Zeppelin air raid:
    http://www.london-walking-tours.co.uk/images/zeppelin-damage-barts.jpg
     
  19. Kazee

    Kazee Member

    My grandmother, living with her family in Portsmouth (while her husband was a Royal Marine POW) had to move house during WW2 due to being bombed!! I found lots of information just looking up Portsmouth bombing WW2, for example http://portsmouthblitz.co.uk/?page=raids/blitz
    Hope this helps.

    Regards, Karen.
     
    dbf likes this.
  20. Marcia

    Marcia New Member

    Hello to everyone, I am new to this forum and I have a question.

    Does anyone have pics relating to the bombing of the area of St. Paul's Church at Deptord (Crossfield Street, Bronze Street)?

    Thank you in advance
     

Share This Page