17th September 1940 Marble Arch station bombing

Discussion in 'United Kingdom' started by CL1, Sep 17, 2017.

  1. CL1

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

    When the Blitz started on 7 September 1940, London Underground tube stations were considered amongst the safest places during air raids. However, such assumptions were proven false at Marble Arch Station, on the Central Line, at around 11.40pm on 17 September 1940. Late into this major night raid, which caused extensive damage along the length of Oxford Street, one high explosive bomb landed on Marble Arch Station in the unluckiest way.

    At Marble Arch Station heavy traffic continuously passed overhead. The roof of the station, reinforced with steel girders and concrete, had been specifically designed to bear heavy loads. But not enough to protect against high explosive bombs.




    17 September 1940 | Marble Arch Station | Bomb Incidents | West End at War

    "Marble Arch" [Central, tube]
    Temporarily closed/access restricted for FAM from 07/09/39. {R14} Direct hit 17/09/40 caused approximately 20 casualties - with possibly up to 7 killed - some from wall tiles fragmenting into shrapnel. V2 ballistic missile impacted near station (Orators' Corner, Hyde Park) 18/03/45, causing blast damage. {R11}
    The Underground at War
     
    Last edited: Sep 17, 2017
  2. CL1

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

    001 COHEN I - - 17/09/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    002 CULLIN J - - 17/09/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    003 DONALDSON DJ - - 17/09/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    004 ROTHBERG A - - 17/09/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    005 THOMAS M - - 17/09/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
     
  3. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Is the date of this incident correct?
    There are 14 more civilian casualties in CWGC recorded as dying at Marble Arch in WW2, as well as those listed by CL1 for the 17th September.
    DIXON Civilian ARTHUR Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 40 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD
    Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    MARDEN Civilian JOHN PERCY Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 51 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    BREWER Civilian FREDERICK JAMES Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 43 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    CLARK Civilian JOHN PERCY Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 48 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    CURTIS Civilian HAROLD Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 39 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    DELANEY Civilian EILEEN Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 22 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    DENNIS Civilian HILDA FLORENCE Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 35 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    GOOD Civilian FREDERICK EDWARD RICHARD Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 55 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    HART Civilian FRANK STEPHEN Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 21 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    LEWIS Civilian MIRIAM Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 23 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    LYNCH Civilian RITA Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 27 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    POCKNELL Civilian MARTHA Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 24 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    RIDLEY Civilian JOHN ALFRED Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 45 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom
    SOWTER Civilian WALTER R. Monday, September 16, 1940 Age 50 ST. MARYLEBONE, METROPOLITAN BOROUGH VIEW RECORD Civilian War Dead United Kingdom.

    Possibly as this was a night raid, the bombing occurred at around midnight of 16th and those found immediately had a Date of Death as 16th, those recovered the next day thus recorded as 17th.
    Alternatively there was another, more deadly incident the night before.....
     
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  4. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    and .......
    Civilian BENNETT, DOROTHY ESTHER JESSIE. Died 22/09/1940 Aged 19 Civilian War Dead
    Daughter of G. C. and D. M. Bennett, of 19 Old Broad Street, London, W.C.2. Injured 18 September 1940, at Marble Arch Subway; died at Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.

    Someone else has also spotted the Date discrepancy at this website..
    Nick Cooper's Random Blog: 17/18 September 1940: The London Underground on this day 70 years ago
    ..... Also on the Central line, bombs hitting the road outside Marble Arch station at 23:55 wrecked the subway, and severely damaged the ticket hall.[3] The Central line as a whole was shut down at 22:10.[4]

    The Marble Arch incident raises questions in relation to the records of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which show one fatality - Abraham Rothberg (29), of Bethnal Green - "at Marble Arch Subway," with a second person - Dorothy Esther Jessie Bennett (19), or London, WC2 - dying in hospital on 22 September having been, "injured 18 September 1940, at Marble Arch Subway." The latter dating of the 18th rather than the 17th can easily be explained by the incident ocurring so close to midnight. In addition, however, the CWGC records fourteen other people - nine men and five women - being killed, "at Marble Arch Subway," on 16 September, a date on which there is no damage to the station recorded. It is possible that that they died in the pedestrian subway under Park Lane near to the Marble Arch itself, and that the subsequent casualties at the Underground station were linked in error ("subway" is used to describe pedestrian tunnels in the UK, but rarely Underground stations).

    and it's appeared on here previously.... (Note the comments on the size of the "Satan" bomb!! 18 megatons!!!!!)
    August 1940 first bombs to fall on London
     
    Last edited: Sep 18, 2017
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  5. timuk

    timuk Well-Known Member

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  6. CL1

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

    thank you for the replies Nicks site state he is still looking into it re the casaulties
     
  7. jonheyworth

    jonheyworth Senior Member

    Errors are not uncommon . Especially if it's not a death at a house but somewhere open. 2 people killed near Cardiff at RED LAVER railway bridge should read RHYDLAVER
     

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