Blog - WW2 Roll Of Honour

16 Ormerod Road, Hollington

10th October 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

A little after 3:30pm on Thursday March 11th 1943, an estimated 2o Focke-Wulf 190s attacked the town from inland, having cross the Channel at Fairlight. They attacked at high speed and low altitude, dropping at least 25 high explosive bombs. The bombs caused extensive damage across Hastings and St Leonards, hitting Silverhill Junction, St Matthew’s Schools, Strood Road, Alma Terrace, Alma Villas, Perth Road, Adelaide Road, Battle Road, Aldborough Road, Clarence Road, Salisbury Road, King Edward Avenue, Salisbury Road, Bohemia Road, Springfield Road, Combermere Road, Burry Road, Blomfield Road, Holmesdale Gardens & St Helens Road.

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

Samuel Wright, aged 78 died at 16 Ormerod Road, Hollington. There are no bomb recorded as impacting near Ormerod Road on that day, so it’s possible Samuel died from machine gun fire.

Notable Bomb Sites

182 Bohemia Road, St Leonards

3rd October 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

One of the bombs exploded near to 182 and 184 Bohemia Road. The row of houses now longer exists, so the image above shows their approximate location. Margaret Martin, aged 64 was killed at number 182 and Ellen Taylor, aged 40 died at number 184.

Notable Bomb Sites

Strood Road, Silverhill, St Leonards

26th September 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

A bomb exploded at Strood Road, killing 38 year old Winifred Syrus and her 8 year old son Deric who lived at number 23. Also killed was 69 year old Emily Hunt, who lived at number 25.

Notable Bomb Sites

Adelaide Road, Hollington, St Leonards

19th September 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

Due to the speed and height of the attacking planes, the bombs they dropped sometimes took unusual paths. One of the passed through the police station in Battle Road (it was located on the now empty space at the end of Perth Road) and detonated in Adelaide Road. It destroyed house numbers 35, 37, 39 and 41, killing four people. At 35 Adelaide road, 27 year old Home Guard Ronald Marchant and his 4 month old nephew Deryck Marchant died. William Symes, aged 51, died at number 37 and 62 year old Emma Hoad died at number 41.

Notable Bomb Sites

49 Salisbury Road, St Leonards

12th September 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

Shortly after 3:30pm on Thursday March 11th 1943, an estimated 2o Focke-Wulf 190s attacked the town from inland, having cross the Channel at Fairlight. They attacked at high speed and low altitude, dropping at least 25 high explosive bombs. The bombs caused extensive damage across Hastings and St Leonards, hitting Silverhill Junction, St Matthew’s Schools, Strood Road, Alma Terrace, Alma Villas, Perth Road, Adelaide Road, Battle Road, Aldborough Road, Clarence Road, Salisbury Road, King Edward Avenue, Salisbury Road, Bohemia Road, Springfield Road, Combermere Road, Burry Road, Blomfield Road, Holmesdale Gardens & St Helens Road.

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

A bomb exploded at Salisbury Road, badly damaging several houses. At house number 49, Marguerite Priddle, aged 24, and Alice Wareham, aged 49, were killed.

Notable Bomb Sites

59 Springfield Road, St Leonards

5th September 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

Sisters Dora and Lillah MacLachlan aged 57 and 65 respectively, Annie Hindle, aged 84 and Hetty Murdock, aged 74 all died at 59 Springfield Road when a bomb exploded nearby.

Service Personnel

Green, William Charles

29th August 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

Name: William Charles Green

Rank: Lance Corporal

Regiment: Royal Engineers

Died on: Monday, 30th September 1940

Died at: Plaza Cinema, Robertson Street, Hastings

Parents: Mr Kenneth William and Mrs Ethel Maud Green

Home Address: 15 York Road, Bexhill on Sea

Additional Information: William Green, aged 17, was on leave from the Army and was killed when a single bomber dropped one HE bomb that hit the Plaza Cinema on Robertson Street, Hastings. Thirteen other people were killed and thirty five injured, twelve seriously.

He is buried at Bexhill Cemetery. Thanks to Mr M. Peel for proving this information.

If you can provide more information about this person, please comment below or contact me here.

Notable Bomb Sites

52 Vale Road, St Leonards

29th August 20215th September 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

At 52 Vale Road, Emma Giles was killed, possibly by machine gun fire or shrapnel from a bomb that exploded between Alma Terrace and Vale Road. She was 62 years old.

Notable Bomb Sites

Perth Road, St Leonards

22nd August 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

Five people were killed in Perth Road. At number 31a, Winifred Lewis, aged 30, and her daughter Norah Lewis aged 4 along with Alice Fellows aged 40 died that day. Elizabeth Constable aged 53 and Francis Keating aged 60 were badly wounded at 27 Perth Road and died at the Municipal Hospital on 12th and 15th March respectively,

Notable Bomb Sites

Silverhill Junction

15th August 2021
by WW2RollofHonour

Just after 3:30pm on Thursday March 11th 1943, an estimated 2o Focke-Wulf 190s attacked the town from inland, having cross the Channel at Fairlight. They attacked at high speed and low altitude, dropping at least 25 high explosive bombs. The bombs caused extensive damage across Hastings and St Leonards, hitting Silverhill Junction, St Matthew’s Schools, Strood Road, Alma Terrace, Alma Villas, Perth Road, Adelaide Road, Battle Road, Aldborough Road, Clarence Road, Salisbury Road, King Edward Avenue, Salisbury Road, Bohemia Road, Springfield Road, Combermere Road, Burry Road, Blomfield Road, Holmesdale Gardens & St Helens Road.

The human cost was the worst the town would suffer in a single day, with 38 people dead and 90 others wounded, 39 seriously.

At least one bomb exploded in the Silverhill Junction area, severely damaging properties in the area including numbers 5 and 7 Sedlescombe Road North.

Seven people died as a result:

Frederick Gower
Edith Harmer
Freda Jeffery
Edith Read
Doris Sargent
Rosalie Sargent
Edward Hayler