Reading 'Ipswich in the Second World War' by David Jones (ISBN: 978-0-7524-4646-2) Thought I would attempt a then and now. I could only get somewhere near the same camera angle due to parked cars etc. Myrtle road was hit 2nd June 1943, during a raid that was directed on Ipswich Docks, one German plane crashing on the far side of the docks it is believed, because it was hit by the blast from its own bombs during a low level attack. 7 people died from the Myrtle Road bombing. Numbers 42, 44 & 46 are no longer in the road. They would have been where the red brick houses now stand. I say it was a 'Unlucky Street', because in 1949 a 13 year old girl died as a result of a jet crashing, during a mock dog fight over the town, during 'Exercise Foil'. A remembrance Plaque on the wall of Holywells Park in Myrtle Road. http://www.ipswichstar.co.uk/news/features_2_511/tragedy_over_the_town_recalled_1_166846
Details of the above sad loss at Myrtle Road, Ipswich. 29th June 1949 Vampire F3 VF347 247 Squadron The aircraft of this squadron were participating in an air defence exercise; Exercise FOIL, in which they were part of the defending force matched against British and allied aircraft from the continent The squadron had left Bentwaters to intercept a formation of Hornets from Germany. During the persuit, this aircraft stalled in a high speed, steep turn at high all up weight, probably because the pilot forgot that he had the overload tanks fitted. The aircraft struck 56 Myrtle Road Ipswich and a child in the house; Barry Thirkettle was injured but another child in the street outside received fatal injuries. The pilot was the squadron commander and had been so for nearly a year. Earlier in his career, Squadron Leader Beddow had been a flight commander on a Stirling transport squadron and had taken part in many transport support sorties including Operation VARSITY, the airborne attack across the Rhine. S/L. Anthony Roscoe Towne Beddow DFC + Miss Pamela Cook + Source - Final Landings - C. Cummings
