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Image number 1434
oldreigate.com image number 1434
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Earlswood incident by flying bomb. June 19th 1944. Windsor Spice Ltd.


"On the night of Monday, June 19th, the Borough suffered its heaviest blow from the (flying bombs) when ten people and a baby were killed at Earlswood and a number of others injured. The flying bomb was heard approaching, there was an outburst of gun fire from a battery to the south east and when this had ceased, the noise of the motor had gone. There was a swishing sound as the bomb dived to earth in the garden of a house at the angle of Earlsbrook Road and St. John's Road. The terrific force of the explosion demolished houses and shattered others, burying the unfortunate residents in the debris of their ruined homes. That night the rescue services and the medical units worked with unwearing energy and billiting officers strove to lessen the cruel disaster which had befallen the district."

The Borough in War Time, By Charles W. Preston.
Comment 1

Jane Andrews from Petts Wood posted this comment on Thursday 31 March 2011 21:58:00.

My childhood home was built on the bomb site - 86 Earlsbrook Road. My parents bought it new in 1958, and stayed there until about 2004. The garden was full of broken peices of crockery from the bomb damage. I was always told that a child died in the bomb damage


Comment 2

Steve Kulka from Redhill posted this comment on Sunday 19 June 2011 16:44:00.

This picture was taken from the front garden of 75, Earlsbrook Road. It was owned at that time by Olive Bish, Spinster. Died 1987.

The stables at the rear was for the hackney carriage horses. The stables were then extended to provide garaging for the motor taxi cabs.

The metal fence in the foreground is still there.


Comment 3

John Coomber from Huddersfield posted this comment on Wednesday 07 November 2018 14:12:46.

Together with my mother and grandmother, we lived at 76 Earlsbrook Road. The aftermath of the explosion and what happened next form my first concrete memories.


Comment 4

Robin West from Rustington posted this comment on Sunday 02 January 2022 07:44:33.

Bill Demming, an american who moved to the UK in 1900, married Mary Demming (nee West)in 1919. They both lived with Marys mother at 98 Earlsbrook road. Mary was killed outright by the explosion and her elderly mother died days later in East Surrey hospital. Bill was on fire watch that night at the Monotype factory at Salfords where he worked as a toolmaker and therefore survived. He was re-housed in Croydon with just the clothes he stood up in. In 1947 he was remarried to my mothers sister and enjoyed a very happy 2nd marriage. Uncle Bill as I knew him, died in 1988 at the age of 92. I still have many of his work tools which were of course safe at the Monotype, as well as his aliens Identity Book and the fire whistle which he carried on the night of the bomb.


Comment 5

Ed Marshall from Atlanta posted this comment on Monday 10 January 2022 06:35:18.

Regarding the death of Bill Demmming's wife at 98 Earlsbrook: Bill was my Dad's first cousin. We, his cousins in the US, were familiar with the event. I understand that Bill and Mary lived with Mary's aunt, Mary Ann Bath, nee West, and her aunt's husband, Edward Bath (who was also killed). Bill's dad, William J Demming Sr., was also a toolmaker and was a early employee of Monotype. When WWI started he was their representative in Berlin and was unable to return to his family in England until 1919. He later returned to the United States. After his death his tools went to my Dad and are now in my care.


Comment 6

Laura Crawford from Bradford posted this comment on Thursday 15 September 2022 09:03:19.

My mother and grandmother were evacuated from Eastbourne to Redhill and she was very emotional when she saw it. In the background of the photo is a terrace of four badly damaged houses, it was in one of these my mother lived - she could even identify her bedroom. She has tried to find/purchase a copy of the photograph but with no success and has given up. Any assistance in how I might be able to purchase a copy of the photograph for my Mum would be much appreciated. She is still terrified during thunderstorms as it reminds her of the explosion.


Comment 7

Annie Kevans from France posted this comment on Friday 13 January 2023 15:34:12.

Does anyone know where I could find photos of the damage from a bomb that fell on the 5th of January 1944? My grandparents lived in the house with my mother and aunt who were children at the time. I have some letters written by my Granny the day after the house came down and I would be very interested in seeing photos taken at the time. Thank you.



This image was uploaded on Sunday 11 April 2010 19:12:03.

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