John’s Photograph 1940
“John Gent boasted the largest collection of historical postcards of Croydon in the world after spending more than 50 years pursuing his hobby, and wrote or collaborated in 10 books exploring the borough’s history. The quiet, unassuming historian died aged 79 on May 3, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy in historical circles in Croydon.
Mr Gent, three-times president of Croydon Natural History and Scientific Society(CNHSS), was awarded honorary membership of the organisation in recognition of his dedication to the subject.”
-Mike Didymus, The Guardian
This photograph is from John Gent’s collection and is displayed in our Museum galleries. The image is taken looking south east over Coulsdon with St. Andrews church in the foreground. The smoke you can see is thought to have been a result of an air raid on the Kenley Aerodrome. in Croydon more than 5000 people were killed or injured and 60,000 houses were damaged during air raids in World War Two. John Gent lived in South Norwood at the time. This is his story from the first bombing on Croydon Aerodrome.
“Our shelter was incomplete in August 1940 and on the 15th, my friend Tony Moss has come to tea. We were playing in the front room with a large tin plate model bus when the sound of some approaching aircraft was heard.
I said to Tony that I was going to look at them but he said he would not bother. As I tried the handle on the door my Mother was turning it in the opposite direction. “QUICK John!, they’re Germans!” she said. No alert had sounded. We rushed into the back room, and down the ladder into the shelter, as we heard explosions in the distance. As there was as yet nowhere to sit in the shelter, we removed the metal sheet and went along the escape passage to Fosketts at number 306 and waited until the attack on Croydon Airport was over…”
John started collecting postcards when he was sent one of the Crystal Palace by a neighbour for his fourth birthday in 1936. This began a lifelong love of postcard and photograph collecting.
John’s interest in local history was stimulated by his history teacher at school and by attending lectures at the local library. By the 1950’s John focused on collecting postcards of local views. His hobby allowed him to accumulate a collection of around 15,000 images.
