Firestorm the Blitz

A Selection of videos of Bermondsey
and the people that lived there
bermondseyboy
Site Admin
Posts: 233
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:37 pm

Firestorm the Blitz

Postby bermondseyboy » Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:37 pm


I have put together a short Video of the Blitz Firestorm.
It shows on the 29th December 1940 the Feldon's one of many that lost Family Members in shelters during the Blitz.
I believe that this shelter was in Keyworth Street near the Elephant & Castle.
I was born some 9 years after the event so I can only imagine the pain that this brought.
Perhaps someone remembers this shelter on keyworth Street.


I hope the information here is correct, if not please let me know......Thanks

bermondseyboy
Site Admin
Posts: 233
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:37 pm

Re: Firestorm the Blitz

Postby bermondseyboy » Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:50 pm

Posted by bilko

Hi,,i remember that night very well,we stayed in Bermondsey ,Major Road,all through the War,mostly either under our stairs,and later in our Anderson Shelter...I was Aged 7 at the time,and i remember on that night we went into the Shelter under Dockley Road Arches,as they had a small Canteen where you could get a Cup of Tea and a slice of Toast for 1-1/2d..We used to sleep on the soft earth between the Rows of Very Large Barrels of Fruit Preserve,for Hartleys i Think.The Raids usually started around 10.30pm,and as soon as the dogs started barking,we knew they were on their way.I can remember My Mother saying that "someone else is getting it tonight,as very few Bombs were dropping around Bermondsey,which was a bit unusual.Later through the night,a couple of Wardens came into the Shelter,turned all of the lights off,and told the People to come out and have a look at whats happening....they slid open the Larrge doors ,and the whole Sky was a bright Orangy Red,everyone looked Red as well,and you could feel the Heat on your face.The Bombers were still overhead,with that German Bomber Sound that was so distinctive,droning away,but not very many loud explosions...i remember one of the Wardens saying to my Mother,"thats the City Alight"..not much else was said,and we all went back into the Shelter..It didnt mean very muuch to me,as Bermondsey had the longest sustained Bombing of any of the London Boroughs,57 nights continuos,when bombs fell on Bermondsey,More than any other London Borough....The film was very good,and sadly a true reflection of the times,i would Query however,the All clear sounding through the night,it didnt usually sound until well after 5.30am..from what i can remember,as Mum wouldnt let us out of the Shelter until we heard it...Best wishes Bill Killick

bermondseyboy
Site Admin
Posts: 233
Joined: Tue Jan 10, 2017 12:37 pm

Re: Firestorm the Blitz

Postby bermondseyboy » Mon Jan 30, 2017 7:51 pm

Posted by enigma45england

When I worked for LTE on the East London a lady named Elsie Gost told us all about the night Surrey Docks was bombed. The staff at Surrey Docks station had a shelter under the roadway [still there] but a couple of them were under the road bridge firewatching. A few incendiaries dropped on the track but did no real damage. A very loud THUD was heard south of the station and they went with hood torches to see the cause. About 100 yds south of the platforms a large hole was seen and the track was in a mess. So control was phoned and informed. and trains did not start next morning while the army searched for a UXB and dug down 70ft where whatever it was that had landed had dug the hole but found nothing.. As that was the case and the army feller said it had not "gorn orf bang" it was decided to leave well alone and fill in the hole as the object had either gone very deep or gone sideways and covered itself,. it was thought to have been a landmine. It may still be there. Elsie said that after the raid all the timber in the docks burned for 6 weeks.

Another thing she told us was that bomb had come down in Trundleys Road and blown some houses to buggery. All the victims were accounted for apart from a teenage girl who could not be found. It was said that the whole site was cleared but no girl came to light and it was thought she had been blown to pieces. However about 3 months later some premises nearby were having the roof repaired and her remains were found up there poor kid.

Also on the night of the Surrey Docks raid a strange thing occured. After the raid a warden saw a man standing at a tram stop looking rather strange. He went up to him to ask if he was alright and tapped him on the shoulder whereupon the man fell over like a tree being felled. He was found to be stone dead probably killed by blast. The weirdest thing was that there was not a mark on him and he was never identified.


Return to “Videos”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests