Hastings Town Centre

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

West Hill, Hastings

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.

158 Queens Road, Hastings

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.

46 Albion Street, Halton, Hastings

On Monday 23rd September 1940 a lone bomber dropped three high explosive bombs and an oil bomb on the Halton area of Hastings. Albion Street was hit hard, with Robert Winborn and Louisa Winborn killed at their home at 46 Albion Street. Five houses were demolished and others seriously damaged. There were many other injuries and around 60 people were made homeless.

The Halton area of Hastings was pretty much demolished and rebuilt during the slum clearances in Hastings during the 1950’s. The image above taken from Google Maps shows where Albion Street used to be.