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Hastings Town Centre Notable Bomb Sites

Hastings Town Centre

  • 16th January 2021
  • by WW2RollofHonour

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

Bembrook Road, West Hill Hastings Notable Bomb Sites

West Hill, Hastings

  • 21st December 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Bembrook Road, 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 Notable Bomb Sites

158 Queens Road, Hastings

  • 19th December 20202nd January 2021
  • by WW2RollofHonour

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.

Albion Street, Halton, Hastings Notable Bomb Sites

46 Albion Street, Halton, Hastings

  • 28th November 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Albion Street, Halton, HastingsOn 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.

139 Priory Road Notable Bomb Sites

139 Priory Road, Hastings

  • 25th October 202031st October 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

139 Priory Road

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 and Priory Road. The raid resulted in the death of Violet Gooday, a teacher aged 34 at 139 Priory Road. Nine others were injured, two seriously.

The bombs demolished several houses and caused damage to the Priory Road School.

Notable Bomb Sites

Swan Hotel, Hastings Old Town

  • 6th October 202010th October 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour
  • The Swan Hotel – Now 2
  • The Swan Hotel – Then 2

 

At 1pm on Sunday the 23rd May 1943, German fighter bombers, probably Focke Wulf 190s, swept across Hastings and St Leonards in a ‘tip and run’ raid. They dropped 25 high explosive bombs and sprayed machine gun fire indiscriminately. The raid was the second worst for the town in terms of casualties, with 25 people killed in total and 85 injured, 30 seriously. Among the buildings suffering direct hits from the bombs was the Swan Hotel, Swan Terrace and Reeve’s Antiques, all on the High Street in Hastings Old Town.

The hotel had been a fixture in the Old Town since around 1523. Its function as a business in the area changed over the centuries to keep up with changes to society. Originally a public house, it became a place for gentry, a stagecoach stop, post office, community space and a hotel. The Swan was completely rebuilt in 1890, as shown in the image below. During WW2, many public houses in Hastings had closed but the Swan had remained open throughout.

The excellent Hastings Pubs History website has further information and more photographs here.

The Swan Hotel was full of people when it was hit and seventeen people died there with many others injured. The names of the deceased who died there are listed below.

  • The Swan Hotel – Now 1
  • The Swan Hotel – Then 1

 

Casualties:
Violet Cox
Grace Gummerson
Hilda Gummerson
Trevor Gummerson
William Hart
Henry Hayward
Margaret Hayward
William Hilder
Joseph Pepper
Charlotte Perks
James Phillips
William Reed
William Roffe
John Somerville
Ann Tester
George White
Thomas Winborn

The people listed above are all buried at Hastings Cemetery.

Joseph Carter White Service Personnel

White, Joseph Carter

  • 6th September 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Joseph Carter White

Name: Joseph Carter White

Rank: Seaman

Service: Royal Naval Patrol Service

Ship: HM Trawler Botanic

Parents: William James & Mary Louisa White

Wife: D White

Address: Hastings

Additional Information: Joseph White died aged 35 on 15th September 1940. The inscription on his grave reads “Time heals, but we still remember son. Mum and Dad.” Information about Joseph White can be read on the Sussex History Forum here.

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

Albert Alfred Wenman Service Personnel

Wenman, Albert Alfred

  • 5th September 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Albert Alfred Wenman

Name: Albert Alfred Wenman

Rank: Trooper

Regiment: 4th Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps

Address: Hastings

Additional Information: Albert Wenman died on 3rd November 1942. More information about Albert can be read on the Sussex History Forum here.

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

Kenneth Charles Albert Watson Service Personnel

Watson, Kenneth Charles Albert

  • 29th August 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Kenneth Charles Albert Watson

Name: Kenneth Charles Albert Watson

Rank: Signalman

Regiment: Royal Corps of Signals

Parents: William Henry & Emma S Watson

Address: Hastings

Additional Information: Kenneth Watson died aged 19 on 13th January 1942. The inscription on his grave reads “Weep not my brethren, for I go to my Father who is in heaven.”

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

Thomas F K Stanley Service Personnel

Stanley, Thomas F K

  • 23rd August 2020
  • by WW2RollofHonour

Thomas F K Stanley

Name: Thomas F K Stanley

Rank: Sergeant

Regiment: 17th Battalion, Royal Fusiliers (City of London Regiment)

Parents: William and Elizabeth Stanley

Address: Hastings

Additional Information: Thomas Stanley died aged 28 on 27th October 1942. The inscription on his grave reads “Not just today, but every day in silence we remember. Some day we will understand.”

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

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