A Daring Daylight Raid
The first bombs to fall on Croydon and indeed on the London area were at Addington in June 1940 when it was shaken by a series of explosions and eight bomb craters were reported in the fields. Paris fell on 25th June and soon after this many Croydon children were re-evacuated to areas such as Devon and Cornwall. The Spitfires were based at Kenley and Biggin Hill and Hurricanes at Croydon Aerodrome along with the Naval Air Arm. By mid-August, they were reporting up to 76 Nazi planes shot down each day.
The attack begins
On the evening of 15 August 1940 just before 7pm, eye witness accounts describe that some 21 aircraft were seen flying in formation over South Croydon. Within a half mile of the Croydon Aerodrome, several of the planes on the peripheral broke away making twisting, weaving movements. As yet, unannounced by the warning siren, it was not until they dropped their load and explosions followed that their identity and true purpose became clear. The siren sounded some 17 minutes after the first bomb fell. It was the first near-London attack during daytime.
The blast was heard and felt as far as the town centre where an air-raid alert announcement briefly interrupted a live performance at the Davis Theatre. Eye witness accounts of those travelling on a bus in Purley Way at the time, described how at first three or four planes arrived in quick succession, flying at about 1000 feet and then, one after the other, each breaking away to dive and deliver its load. Within minutes the anti-aircraft gunners were in place and two RAF fighters were deployed taking down 3 of the enemy. The rest of the raiders were dispersed and made south. The all clear sounded at 7.35pm. The Croydon Aerodrome had clearly been the intended target.
Within minutes First Aid teams from the factories, Casualty Service, Wardens, Home Guard, Fire Brigade and Police were all at work. The streets were cordoned off to allow for the care of the injured and teams worked tirelessly to control fires and look for survivors among the debris. Throughout the evening and night the Salvation Army and YMCA provided refreshments for those who worked through the debris looking for survivors and bodies to ensure none were left behind. The search operation did not conclude until the evening of Saturday 17 August; for some time after a watchful eye was kept on the area.
Factory survivors gathering after the raid
Despite the fact that the factories and surrounding area had been camouflaged to appear as an English country scene from the air the next morning the Purley Way was a scene of devastation strewn with glass, chalk, plaster and fallen debris of every kind. The Redwing Aircraft factory and the NSF factory were destroyed; Bourjois, Philips and Mullards were also hit. Surrounding roads Crowley Crescent, Coldharbour Way, Foss Avenue and Waddon Way sustained damage and casualties. The radius of the blast had taken in 200 houses causing sufficient damage to leave 180 people homeless. Many were taken in by neighbours, others were taken to Coombe House where the Garwoods gave them shelter until they could return to their own homes. The morning after the raid repair teams were deployed to make good any home that could be salvaged and in the worst cases to knock down and make safe. The raid had lasted around 35 minutes but the cost had been great; 62 deaths, 37 serious injuries and 137 with minor injuries.
Viewing a Messerschmitt shot down in Kent during the raid.
The immediate policy of the Air Ministry and the Ministry of Home Security was that public reports of air raids would be vague; the true location, extent of damage and number of casualties would not be published. Bombs fell on the Croydon Aerodrome but the full extent of the damage or casualties was never revealed.
The day after the raid Sir John Anderson, Minister of Home Security, visited the scene and met with the Mayor, ARP Committee and other Council officials. The official report was that a small section of enemy aircraft had unexpectedly broken away from a larger group. Their true ‘intentions and objectives’ were mistaken for several minutes causing a delay in sounding the alert.
Burial of victims of the bombing raid
A little later, a combined funeral for the victims was held at the Mitcham Road Cemetery conducted by the Bishop of Croydon and a fund was set up for the relief of those affected by the raid
In that first year daily life was transformed. There followed almost continual air attacks and Croydon was called to alert 399 times. The length and intensity of the alerts varied with the longest being that of the night of 5 November which came in relays lasting fourteen hours. In all, amounting to well over a thousand hours when hostile aircraft were overhead or present.
Research by Lizzie Mould
Bibliography: Croydon and the Second World War by W. C. Berwick Sayers
