Forum Topic

WW2 London Bomb Map

http://bombsight.org/#10/51.5374/-0.1064This is quite an interesting site to see where bombs dropped in the Brentford and Isleworth area during WW2

Paul Fisher ● 4899d15 Comments

The V1 was much later in the war. As JL pointed out it only covers the blitz period from 7 October 1940 - 6 June 1941.

Peter McGovern ● 4883d

The map does not seem to record the V1 damages and bomb damage to Lateward road, Brook road and Albany Road.Are there others locally that are not on this excellent new facility?

Anthony Waller ● 4883d

I didn't see it listed but approximately 19 years ago, a  WW2 Bomb was found in the back garden of 110 Whitestile Road. Thank you for showing the map - it makes very interesting reading.

Dan Parson ● 4893d

Thanks very much to all of you. It's fascinating.

Peter McGovern ● 4894d

In 1991 I came home from work to see the rd where I lived in Hanwell (St.Mark's)cordoned off by the police and army.A bomb ,apparently from a Zeppelin,had been found in the front garden of the flat downstairs from mine.It was lodged up against the front wall and buried about a foot down.

Keith Iddon ● 4896d

Just found something I wrote a few years back for the Steam Museum (the raid was by a Zeppelin Staaken bomber in 1918 - not Zeppelin airships in 1917):German Air Raid on Kew Bridge Pumping Station29 January 1918On the night of Tuesday 29 January 1918 two German Zeppelin Staaken R.VI heavy bombers attacked London.  One was intercepted by fighters and turned back near Tottenham.  Capt. A Denis of 37 Squadron, who had flown from Goldhanger airfield, Essex, in a BE12 fighter plane, attacked the other at an altitude of 365m.  The bomber returned fire, riddling the BE12 with bullets and turned at Hertford heading towards Brentford.  Its bomb load was dropped in Richmond Deer Park, Brentford, Kew Bridge Rd, and in the Chiswick district.  The bomber returned to Germany through Kent, leaving the country at Hythe. Ten civilians were killed in the raid and many injured (1).The Metropolitan Water Board’s Kew Bridge Pumping Station was bombed during the night. The damage was caused by 3 of a stick of 4 bombs, the other falling on Kew Bridge Railway Station. The gatehouse, workshops and No. 7 filter bed were damaged. The district foreman and engine foreman, George Bentley (45) and William Finch (43), were both killed. The senior engine driver, Mr E. Gluyas, was later awarded the Order of the British Empire and promoted to Station Foreman in recognition of his courage during the raid. The damage was repaired in the following two years.To the west of the Pumping Station at 22 Whitestyle Road, Brentford May Kerley (38), and her children, Florence (12), Albert Ralph (8), Daisey (4) Frances (2) and Ellen Louise (three months), Winifred Kerley, niece of Mrs Kerley (21) and Mrs Borrows (70) an invalid, who resided with the Kerley's were all killed during the raid. In a nearby house to the Kerley’s, Mr and Mrs Hyde and their daughter Kathleen (5) and an old lady, named Hintor (70) were injured, while three police  constables were also hurt, though not seriously.The German Zeppelin Staaken R.VIThe largest aircraft to ever bomb Britain was the Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI of 1917. There were a total of 18 built, of which at least 11 are known to have been destroyed in WWI; however, only one of these was due to enemy action, the rest were lost in accidents. JL.

Jim Linwood ● 4897d

Hi Peter,Not 54, 56 and 58. I believe they were simply not developed.The WW1 bomb dropped on no. 22 and left the houses either side intact.

Ian Silver ● 4897d

That picture was of the outhouses at Kew Bridge Pumping Station (currently the Steam Museum)

Jim Lawes ● 4898d

From Maggie Jones on Flickr

Jim Lawes ● 4898d

Zeppelin airships did attack London between 1915-17http://londonist.com/2010/07/wwi_airship_attacks_on_london_mappe.phpFrom other sites:"Zeppelin airships flew over London and a bomb was dropped in Whitestile Road, near South Ealing Station, causing damage to two houses. When these attacks took place the guns, stationed in the park opposite 'Craiglea', opened fire."" In 1917 bombs were dropped at Brentford and Kew, 5 all told. We saw the damage in Whitestile Road, two houses down. A large crater outside Kew Bridge, and a gate lodge at the Brentford Water Works hit, killing 5 men. Another fell in the Thames and. one on the towpath on the Surrey side. I remember the fear these bombs caused, how trifling they really were in comparison with World War Two blitz! Searchlights used to light up the sky and naval guns mounted on lorries could be seen on the roads."Zeppelin-Staaken bomber (not airships) attacked the area in 1918:"On the evening of 29th January 1918 three huge Zeppelin-Staaken R.VI Riesenflugzeug “Giant” bombers of the Luftstreitkräfte (Imperial German Air Service) took off from their base in Ghent, Belgium to attack London. The first plane ran into heavy anti-aircraft fire over Billericay and turned for home. It is not known where it dropped its bombs. The second ‘Giant’ was attacked by a night fighter over Tottenham in north London. It too decided to return home offloading its bombs near Wanstead. The third aircraft was also attacked near Hertford by a B.E 12 fighter flown by Capt. A Dennis of RFC 37 Squadron based at Goldhanger in Essex. This attack was unsuccessful and undamaged the ‘Giant’ turned south towards Brentford. Following the Thames towards its target the ‘Giant’ dropped its bombs. The first stick fell on the Old Deer Park, Richmond. The others landed in Brentford, Kew Bridge Road and Chiswick. That night 10 people were killed and the same number injured. According to reports there was little material damage."JL

Jim Linwood ● 4898d

Not a Zepplin I think it was a monoplane with a bomb dropped over the side by hand.This from the excellent Brentford High Street Project site...WWI TragedyA wartime memory of the enemy bombing towards the end of the 1914-18 War. Something I remember as though it was yesterday.A German bomb had fallen on a house in Whitestile Road a couple of streets away from Carlyle Road. On the following Saturday morning my brother (born Sep 1909) and sister (Oct 1910) took me in the pushchair to see the damage. What was left was just a heap of rubbish - the pantry door still on one hinge was flapping to and fro in the wind.The very sad part is that all the members of the family living there were killed including the father who was home on leave from France.      As far as I can tell Zepplin attacks were restricted to East Coast ports Grimsby,Hartlepool etc.

Tony Wood ● 4898d

Do any of you know what happened to 54, 56 and 58 Whitestile Road? I've been led to believe it was a WW1 Zeppelin bomb that destroyed these properties. Is this true?

Peter McGovern ● 4898d

Looking at the map logically it would appear that the German bombers flying east to west were targeting the main industrious areas of The Golden Mile ( Brentford's Great West Rd) Chiswick's boatbuilding area ( Corney Reach?) & South  Acton's factories around the old Bollo Lane area before it  was pulled down for local housing.

Kevin Farnan ● 4899d

Thanks for that Paul.It does seam a large number of bombs for such a short period.The Civil Defence "Blue Book" at Chiswick Library (Local Studies Section) lists ("all" ?) 600+ bombs dropped in Brentford aand Chiswick during the WHOLE war.It's records bomb events in date order but there is also a Street Index.

Jim Lawes ● 4899d

The map covers the blitz period from 7 October 1940 - 6 June 1941 - not the whole war.JL

Jim Linwood ● 4899d