Sydenham/Forest Hill bomb damage
Sydenham/Forest Hill bomb damage
Hi guys,
A new roof was put on the flat earlier this year. One of the roofers who came to give a quote said that the old roof showed signs of bomb damage from the war.
He showed me where there were patches of different kinds of tiles all over the roof. He said that when you got a hole in your roof from flying debris, it was common practice to use bits of the housing that was blown up to fix the damaged houses.
I live on Fransfield Grove, but the buildings here all seem to be older than WW2 and in pretty good nick. Though, they could be newer buildings - I could be/most probably am wrong.
Did Forest Hill and Sydenham cop much bombing? Was there much here worth blowing up?
A new roof was put on the flat earlier this year. One of the roofers who came to give a quote said that the old roof showed signs of bomb damage from the war.
He showed me where there were patches of different kinds of tiles all over the roof. He said that when you got a hole in your roof from flying debris, it was common practice to use bits of the housing that was blown up to fix the damaged houses.
I live on Fransfield Grove, but the buildings here all seem to be older than WW2 and in pretty good nick. Though, they could be newer buildings - I could be/most probably am wrong.
Did Forest Hill and Sydenham cop much bombing? Was there much here worth blowing up?
You should find this old thread useful:
http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... d913fe38ce
Bomb damage is also covered in some of the local history books you can find in Kirkdale bookshop.
I don't think there was much of strategic value round here, but the V2s were intended to demoralise the civilian population rather than attack military targets. It also appears that the Government intended to deceive the Germans into aiming their rockets at south east London in order to avoid the city centre - "Agent Zigzag" tells a very interesting story about this.
http://sydenham.org.uk/forum/viewtopic. ... d913fe38ce
Bomb damage is also covered in some of the local history books you can find in Kirkdale bookshop.
I don't think there was much of strategic value round here, but the V2s were intended to demoralise the civilian population rather than attack military targets. It also appears that the Government intended to deceive the Germans into aiming their rockets at south east London in order to avoid the city centre - "Agent Zigzag" tells a very interesting story about this.
In most areas where you see a row of terrace houses and there are a few 'new ones' aka 1950's brick boxes, normally that was because a bomb, probably a v1 or v1 fell on it.
It's one reason the green dragon building no longer exists.
Fairlawn park is a good example of the damage caused in WW2. It used to be a cul-de-sac but now has a cut through to Winchmore Road (which used to be full of pre-fabs until the council built hi-rise towers there I have been told.
There were some rather elegant shops along the front of Fairlawn too, but these two were destroyed in what was possibly the last v2 to drop in SE London.
I'm sure Sir Steve Grindley can add some more light on this. I would be interesting to have a local history walk along these lines...are there any?
It's one reason the green dragon building no longer exists.
Fairlawn park is a good example of the damage caused in WW2. It used to be a cul-de-sac but now has a cut through to Winchmore Road (which used to be full of pre-fabs until the council built hi-rise towers there I have been told.
There were some rather elegant shops along the front of Fairlawn too, but these two were destroyed in what was possibly the last v2 to drop in SE London.
I'm sure Sir Steve Grindley can add some more light on this. I would be interesting to have a local history walk along these lines...are there any?
Were there two cinemas?
The old cinema was where Somerfield now is and was knocked down to build that stunning piece of modern contemporary architecture we now see proudly sitting in the High street.
Luckily Sydenham is graced with much fine architecture, hopefully one day, what survived the luftwaffe will be brought back to its former glory, despite the attentions of 'developers' and Lewisham Council!
The old cinema was where Somerfield now is and was knocked down to build that stunning piece of modern contemporary architecture we now see proudly sitting in the High street.
Luckily Sydenham is graced with much fine architecture, hopefully one day, what survived the luftwaffe will be brought back to its former glory, despite the attentions of 'developers' and Lewisham Council!
-
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
To get back to lambchops' original question, this is an extract from the LCC's bomb damage map, showing Fransfield Grove:
Both sides of Fransfield Grove are coloured pale yellow which means, according to the key, "Bomb damage, minor in nature". This is the least serious category of damage so I imagine it means little more than broken windows and roof tiles. If you really want to find out precisely what damage your house suffered, Lewisham Local History Centre has a card index of every claim made for bomb damage to all property in Lewisham. Fransfield Grove, incidentally, was built about 1870.
As for the cinemas, the Queens Hall (on the site of the Naborhood Centre) suffered slight bomb damage, and was demolished in 1953, while the State/Granada (on the site of Somerfield's) scarcely suffered at all, and was demolished in 1971.
Both sides of Fransfield Grove are coloured pale yellow which means, according to the key, "Bomb damage, minor in nature". This is the least serious category of damage so I imagine it means little more than broken windows and roof tiles. If you really want to find out precisely what damage your house suffered, Lewisham Local History Centre has a card index of every claim made for bomb damage to all property in Lewisham. Fransfield Grove, incidentally, was built about 1870.
As for the cinemas, the Queens Hall (on the site of the Naborhood Centre) suffered slight bomb damage, and was demolished in 1953, while the State/Granada (on the site of Somerfield's) scarcely suffered at all, and was demolished in 1971.
Sydenham Bomb Damage
Steve's map is great and clearly shows the black area (worst damage?) when a rocket fell in Panmure Rd in the latter part of the war. It caused huge damage in Mount Ash Rd (where my family lived) and brought down ceilings and chimneys etc. For years afterwards it was really easy to accidentally crack a pane of glass in the windows there as they had all been replaced by thin picture frame glass instead of proper window glass!
-
- Posts: 50
- Joined: 28 Jun 2008 14:14
- Location: forest of dean
Re: Sydenham/Forest Hill bomb damage
I lived at 106 wiverton road during the war. The house suffered bomb damage to windows, doors and the roof. it was about 1948 before the repairs were completed! The houses in Newlands Park opposite Tredown Road were demolished by enemy action, I can remember playing there as a kid before they were rebuilt.
lambchops wrote:Hi guys,
A new roof was put on the flat earlier this year. One of the roofers who came to give a quote said that the old roof showed signs of bomb damage from the war.
He showed me where there were patches of different kinds of tiles all over the roof. He said that when you got a hole in your roof from flying debris, it was common practice to use bits of the housing that was blown up to fix the damaged houses.
I live on Fransfield Grove, but the buildings here all seem to be older than WW2 and in pretty good nick. Though, they could be newer buildings - I could be/most probably am wrong.
Did Forest Hill and Sydenham cop much bombing? Was there much here worth blowing up?
-
- Posts: 50
- Joined: 28 Jun 2008 14:14
- Location: forest of dean
The Neighbourhood Cinema was in Sydenham Road opposite Queensthorpe Road but destroyed by enemy action and the State Cinema was in Sydenham Road on the corner of Girton Road.
leenewham wrote:Were there two cinemas?
The old cinema was where Somerfield now is and was knocked down to build that stunning piece of modern contemporary architecture we now see proudly sitting in the High street.
Luckily Sydenham is graced with much fine architecture, hopefully one day, what survived the luftwaffe will be brought back to its former glory, despite the attentions of 'developers' and Lewisham Council!
-
- Posts: 606
- Joined: 4 Oct 2004 05:07
- Location: Upper Sydenham
My Grandmother , who lived in Venner Road during the war , said the first bomb to hit area took out the German Church on Dacres Rd. If true rather ironic although Bonhoeffer was an anti Nazi and obviously they were aiming for the railway line.
She also mentioned a V1 hit the railway side of Venner road and took out a man having a bath.
She also mentioned a V1 hit the railway side of Venner road and took out a man having a bath.
Re: Sydenham/Forest Hill bomb damage
Hi All,brian stimson wrote:I lived at 106 wiverton road during the war. The house suffered bomb damage to windows, doors and the roof. it was about 1948 before the repairs were completed! The houses in Newlands Park opposite Tredown Road were demolished by enemy action, I can remember playing there as a kid before they were rebuilt.
lambchops wrote:Hi guys,
A new roof was put on the flat earlier this year. One of the roofers who came to give a quote said that the old roof showed signs of bomb damage from the war.
He showed me where there were patches of different kinds of tiles all over the roof. He said that when you got a hole in your roof from flying debris, it was common practice to use bits of the housing that was blown up to fix the damaged houses.
I live on Fransfield Grove, but the buildings here all seem to be older than WW2 and in pretty good nick. Though, they could be newer buildings - I could be/most probably am wrong.
Did Forest Hill and Sydenham cop much bombing? Was there much here worth blowing up?
By luck I came across this Forum and I'm so happy I did. I'm doing some research on Sydenham and one of the areas are Our Lady & St. Philip Neri Roman Catholic Church on Sydenham Road, by Sydenham Library. Another is Our Lady & St. Philip Neri School. The third is the houses between No. 70 and No. 56 Newlands Park, which are completely different to the rest of the houses on Newlands Park. You have now comfirmed what I have been trying to research, that these sites were bombed during WW2. Thanks.