Notable Bomb Sites
At around 1:30pm on Sunday 12th March 1944 a single HE bomb was dropped by an unknown aircraft. It struck on or near numbers 22 and 24 Priory Road, Hastings, killing five and wounding three.
George Saunders, aged 52, his wife Ethel Saunders, aged 46 and his son, Byron, aged 5 were killed in their home at number 24. Their neighbours, Edward Badham, aged 70 and his daughter Dorothy, aged 49 were killed at number 22.
Notable Bomb Sites
At 1pm on Sunday the 23rd May 1943, German fighter bombers, approximately 10 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 damage from the raid were the Albany Hotel, Warrior House Hotel, Swan Hotel, Reeves Antique Shop, Old Town, Warrior Gate Public House, Norman Road and Gensing Road.
One of the bombs exploded in Castle Street killing 47 year old Home Guard Sergeant, Thomas Johnston. Henry Neall, aged 49 was also killed nearby at the rear of Woolworths.
Service Personnel
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
On Sunday 17th May 1942 four Messerschmitt 109s did a ‘tip and run’ raid run on Hastings. The attackers fired their machine guns indiscriminately as they swept across town, dropped their bombs and then fled back to their base across the Channel. The four high explosive bombs dropped that day hit Falaise Road, Havelock Road and Middle Street. At Havelock Road house numbers 40 to 44 were damaged so badly they had to be demolished.
Constance Torrance, aged 28 was killed in her home by machine gun fire at 60 St Georges Road, Hastings.
The attack on that day claimed one other life, with 8 other wounded, 2 severely.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Sunday 17th May 1942 four Messerschmitt 109s did a ‘tip and run’ raid run on Hastings. The attackers fired their machine guns indiscriminately as they swept across town, dropped their bombs and then fled back to their base across the Channel. The four high explosive bombs dropped that day hit Falaise Road, Havelock Road and Middle Street. At Havelock Road house numbers 40 to 44 were damaged so badly they had to be demolished. Albert Portsmouth, aged 40 was killed in his home at 42 Havelock Road.
The attack on that day claimed one other life, with 8 other wounded, 2 severely.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Sunday 3rd May 1942, at 9.05pm, four Messerschmitt 109s swept over the town and dropped high explosive bombs on Vicarage Road and Emmanuel Road, Hastings and Barley Lane, Middle Road, The Broadway and Oakfield Road in Ore.
Mary Gamblen was killed when one of the bombs hit 50 Emmanuel Road. Her husband James Gamblen was badly wounded and died at the Municipal Hospital two days later.
The attack on that day claimed three other lives, with 35 other wounded, 12 severely.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Sunday 3rd May 1942, at 9.05pm, four Messerschmitt 109s swept over the town and dropped high explosive bombs on Vicarage Road and Emmanuel Road, Hastings and Barley Lane, Middle Road, The Broadway and Oakfield Road in Ore.
Two year old Deidre Battersby was killed as she slept in her cot when one of the bombs hit The Emmanuel Vicarage in Vicarage Road. Her mother and sister were injured but survived. Her father, Reverend Jason Battersby, was away at the time.
The attack on that day claimed four other lives, with 35 other wounded, 12 severely.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Tuesday 26th October, whilst an air battle raged overhead, a Dornier dropped 2 bombs on Linton Road. One of these was a direct hit on 28 Linton Road, destroying it completely.
House owner William Amiss, a member of the Home Guard, was badly injured and taken to the Royal East Sussex Hospital. He died there two days later.
This was to be the last fatality in Hastings & St Leonards due to air raids until March 1942. The Germans had switched strategy and focused their bombing more on London and northern parts of the country. The area still was under constant alert, and whilst there were only five bombing raids during 1941, the constant drone of bombers flying overhead ensured the town never relaxed.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Thursday 10th October 1940, twenty four high explosive bombs were dropped on the town during two separate waves, the first at 6:44am and the second at 12:15pm. The bombs struck Stonefield Road, Milward Road, West Street, the West Hill, Priory Road, High Bank, Alfred Road and Ashburnham Road. One person was killed and two others injured.
Ethel Sutton, aged 54, was killed at her home at 45 Milward Road by one of the bombs.
Notable Bomb Sites
On Wednesday 9th October 1940, German planes dropped twenty high explosive bombs across Ore and Hastings. Canute Road, Offa Road, Martineau Lane, Broomgrove Road, Fellows Road and Pine Avenue were all hit. Two people were killed and eleven others injured, three seriously.
Emily Marchant, aged 28 died at 24 Fellows Road.