Bounds Green Tube Memorial, 13th October 1940

Discussion in 'War Cemeteries & War Memorial Research' started by CL1, Oct 14, 2012.

  1. CL1

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

    A solitary German aircraft had been flying round for nearly half an hour, evidently in search of a particular target. As the ticket-collector stared upwards he heard the whizz of a bomb, followed by a crash of glass. The bomb had fallen on top of four 3-storeyed house to the right of the station. The ground did not vibrate unduly and he presumed that no particular damage had been done.
    "However, as he walked down to platform level he heard screaming. Half the platform was in darkness. At the far end he could see that the tunnel had caved in. Having allocated the sleeping accommodation only a few minutes previously, he knew that at least sixty people were involved. Crowds were milling around the safe section of the platform. He promptly sent a porter to the local A.R.P. headquarters and, himself, hurried to a nearby hospital which provided two doctors and six nurses.

    Casualty & fatality analysis

    Bounds Green Blitz attack commemorated in exhibition (From Enfield Independent)
     
  2. CL1

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

    Memorial is on the Bounds Green westbound platform of the Piccadilly line

    The station was used as an air-raid shelter and people slept on the stairs between the escalators here as well as on the platforms.[7] On the night of 13 October 1940, during The Blitz, a lone German aircraft dropped a single bomb on houses to the north of the station.[7] The destruction of the houses caused the north end of the westbound platform tunnel to collapse,[7] killing or injuring many people[8] amongst those sheltering from the air raid.[5] The train service was disrupted for two months.[9]

    Memorial plaque placed in 1994 for the 1940 air raid victims
    A memorial plaque (placed in the station in 1994,[5] at the north end of the westbound platform) erroneously commemorates "sixteen Belgian refugees and ... three British citizens who died" in the attack. The records of the civilian deaths held by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission indicate that in fact sixteen people died at the scene – only three of whom were Belgian – with a seventeenth dying in hospital the following day. Approximately twenty people were injured, but survived.[8]




    NECCHI, ROSE Civilian 13/10/1940 40 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom WOOD GREEN, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH
    NECCHI, GIULIO Civilian 13/10/1940 9 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom WOOD GREEN, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH
    NECCHI, MAFALDA Civilian 13/10/1940 15 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom WOOD GREEN, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH
    NECCHI, MARK JOHN Civilian 13/10/1940 41 Civilian War Dead United Kingdom WOOD GREEN, MUNICIPAL BOROUGH

    From my photo collection
    Headstone of the Necchi family who died buried Kensal Green upload_2017-6-20_15-15-4.png
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Oct 13, 2021
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  3. CL1

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

    Bounds Green and the Blitz

    We had a bomb hit Bounds Green. And it's only a shallow tunnel, 25 feet deep. Of course, all the girders come down, and it really … people were laying on the platform asleep. And I saw a surgeon take a girl's legs off. We ran a service on the line which wasn't bombed - it only affected one side - and we turned the other side into a two-car ambulance train, if you like, and we ran, because Arnos Grove was an open station, the next station, any injured we put them on to this train and run them up to Arnos Grove so as they could be taken away by ambulance, because we couldn't get them out the other way. And there were several injured, but I always remember that poor girl. Her legs were crushed, smashed by the iron girders of the tunnel, and the surgeon said, 'I shall have to take her legs off.' He said, 'We'll never shift her. We'll never get them out, and if we do, they won't be any good.' And I remember him, I was there, he injected her and took her legs off, and bound 'em up, and away she went into our ambulance train. And she was only one of many incidents I experienced.

    Extract 9 of interview with Albert Honey | Explore 20th Century London
     
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  4. Nick Cooper

    Nick Cooper Junior Member

    George Medal citation for Dr Malcolm Manson, Wood Green Medical Officer of Health, for rescue work at Bounds Green station:

    "Malcolm Hanson, M.C., M.B., Ch.B., Medical Officer of Health, Wood Green.

    A heavy H.E. bomb fell, causing a tunnel to collapse. A number of people were trapped under the debris and the clay which had fallen through the cavity.

    Dr. Manson arrived on the scene within a few minutes of the occurrence, and immediately assumed the direction and leadership of the rescue work. For nearly three hours he worked without intermission actively participating in the release of persons trapped in the debris heap, giving medical aid where it was needed and all the time keeping effective control. Throughout this period he was in grave personal danger from frequent falls of clay. It seemed likely that a further portion of the tunnel would collapse. At one period he was lying full length on the heap endeavouring to release a man partially buried when there was a shout from the lookout man of " Run for it." The Doctor ignored the warning and continued his efforts for the trapped man. There was a large fall of clay and the Doctor was struck by a large piece full in the back. He was partially buried and had to be dragged out feet foremost. He rested for a' few minutes, and then, in spite of severe pain, carried on with the work.

    Dr. Manson's pertinacity, courage and disregard of personal safety set a wonderful example to the men and was no doubt responsible for the saving of a number of lives which otherwise would have been lost. He sustained serious injuries during the rescue operations."

    Page 739 | Supplement 35066, 4 February 1941 | London Gazette | The Gazette

    Dr Manson's served with the RAMC during the First World War, hence the MC, the citation for which is here:

    Page 12314 | Supplement 31583, 3 October 1919 | London Gazette | The Gazette
     
    Last edited: Jan 25, 2024
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  5. CL1

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

    13th October 1940

    001 BOULLE F - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    002 BOWDICH BA - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    003 JEMMETT FM - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    004 JEMMETT AG - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    005 JEMMETT CS - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    006 KINGATE HM - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    007 MANDALL RL - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    008 MANDALL PL - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    009 MANDALL HM - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    010 MEARS WJ - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    011 NECCHI MJ - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    012 NECCHI M - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    013 NECCHI G - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    014 NECCHI R - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    015 NORRIS CV - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    016 PAGE MJ - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    017 PAGE M - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    018 WATTS EM - - 13/10/1940 CIVILIAN WAR DEAD
    Casualties with Bounds 13th October 1940


    Photo from my collection
    [​IMG]




    B/W print; Air raid damage on the night of 13 October 1940, Bounds Green Underground station, Piccadilly line by Topical Press, 15 Oct 1940

    [​IMG]

    | London Transport Museum
     
  6. Nick Cooper

    Nick Cooper Junior Member

    Barbara Bowdich, Maud and Moya Page, and Charles Norris were killed in two of the houses above the platform tunnel that were demolished by the bomb. In addition, in the station itself there were:

    NEUCKERMANS, ROBERT JOSEPH AUGUSTE (Age 26) [Belgian Subject]
    VAN HAELTER, DAVID (Age 28) [Belgian Subject]

    Both of these are dated 14 October, as is:

    MANDALL, WILLIAM ALFRED (Age 33)

    Died at Frien Emergency Hospital

    Francine Boulle was the third Belgian.
     

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