Notable Bomb Sites
On Tuesday 8th October 1940 a lone bomber dropped four high explosive bombs and two oil incendiaries on Havelock Road, Pelham Arcade and York Buildings in Hastings.
In Havelock Road, several properties were wrecked including the headquarters of the Women’s Voluntary Services.
Two people were killed; Arthur Wenman, aged 67 and Mary Monk, aged 20.
Notable Bomb Sites
The Bedford Arms was established in Queen’s Road, Hastings in 1865. It was both a hotel and public house. At 12pm on Saturday 5th October 1940 the building was directly hit by a high explosive bomb, one of 12 such bombs dropped by a lone German bomber. They struck Queens Road, Milward Road, Wellington Road, Cricket Ground, Stonefield Road and Wallinger’s Walk
Annie Payne was in the hotel when it was hit and died there. Amos Prior was killed by shrapnel outside. Two other people were killed in Queens Road during the raid; George Martin and Florence Stones.
The only photograph I could find of the Bedford Arms as it once looked is this one.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Saturday 5th October 1940 a lone bomber dropped 12 high explosive bombs on Hastings, one of which exploded near to 12 Wellington Road. Three people died as a result of the explosion including Richard Bourn who was killed instantly. George Martin died at the Royal East Sussex Hospital later that day and Annie Ludlow died of her wounds the next day at the same hospital.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Monday 30th September 1940 a lone bomber dropped a high explosive bomb near to 484 Bexhill Road, St Leonards. Henry Cook, who lived at the address, died as a result of the explosion.
This happened on the same day as a bomb exploded over Hastings Town Centre, causing the most casualties in a single day up to that point in the war.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Monday 30th September 1940, Hastings suffered its worst incident of the war so far. A lone bomber dropped 1 HE Bomb which skipped off the roof of the Plaza Cinema in Hastings Town Centre (now a Yate’s Pub) and exploded in mid air. The explosion was devastating, resulting in the deaths of 14 people and wounding 35 others, 12 seriously.
It caused extensive damage to the surrounding buildings, including the Albert Memorial which had all four of its clock dials blown out.
The 12 people who were killed by the explosion and buried at Hastings Cemetery are listed below:
George Brooker
William Brown
Lilian Comerford
Ronald Dutton
Clifford Glazier
Frederick Heppell
Cecil Hume
Norman Kemp
William Sadler
Albert Southey
Frances Southey
Winifred Spencer
Notable Bomb Sites
On Thursday 26th September 1940 a lone bomber dropped 14 HE bombs on Carisbrooke Road, London Road, Norman Road, Alfred Street and Silchester Road. The town suffered two attacks on this day.
Mary Backman, aged 74, was injured at Carisbrooke Road, St Leonards and died two days later. The image above shows the approximate location, based on the original bomb map featured in the publication ‘Hastings and St Leonards in the Front Line’. Two other people were killed in the raids, and several others injured.
Notable Bomb Sites
The first ‘tip and run’ raid on Hastings during WW2 occurred on 26th July 1940 a little after 7am.
A single fighter bomber dropped 11 high explosive bombs on the Cricket Ground, Gladstone Terrace, Whitefriars Road, Priory Road, Bembrook Road and the West Hill, Hastings. Alice Rummery, of 17 Lennox Street, Halton was badly injured. She died of her wounds six months later on 26th January 1941 at the Royal East Sussex Hospital. One other person was killed and nine others were injured, two seriously.
The image above shows the area that the bombs struck, but the exact site is not known.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Thursday 26th September 1940 three fighter bombers dropped 40 HE bombs on Queen’s Road, Nelson Road, Milward Road & St Mary’s Terrace. They were attacking the gas holders and railway line.
Nelson Kemp, a Special Constable, was killed near to 158 Queens Road. Two other people were killed in the raid, and several others injured.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Wednesday 25th September 1940 St Leonards was subjected to two attacks at 1:15pm and 2:20pm. Eighteen high explosive bombs and 1 oil incendiaries were dropped. Properties in King’s Road, Western Road, Royal Terrace, Magdalen Road were severely damaged. Shornden Reservoir in Alexandra Park was also hit.
Victoria Hicks was killed in the raid whilst sheltering at her home at 25 Magdalen Road. Two other people were killed in the raids, but I’m unable to find out who they were. Sixteen other people were seriously injured.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Tuesday 10th September 1940 at 5:30pm nine high explosive bombs were dropped across St Leonard’s at Hollington Park, The Green, Sedlescombe Road South, Tower Road West, St Peter’s Road, Cloudsley Road, Woodland Vale Road and Christchurch School. Around 30 incendiary bombs were also dropped during the raid, setting several roof fires which were quickly brought under control by the Fire Service.
Amelia Wheeler was wounded near to Christ Church School and her home at 6 Tower Road. She died later that day at the Buchanan Hospital.
