D Day 6th June

[computedshorty]

?D? Day 6th June.

Over the next few days you might see memories of the invasion on France called D Day.

There must be still many who have memories of being there.

I was not there myself, but my elder brother was, he was on a landing craft, he was a dispatch driver on a motor cycle, as the craft dropped the front ramp the men charged forward but the craft had not as yet reached the beach, they sank into the water and the craft passed over them, my brother was ordered to move off, his motor cycle dropped into the waves he and his motor cycle were trapped under the flat bottom of the boat, fortunately the motor cycle saved him from being crushed he was held under water until the soldiers and vehicles got off, the craft then rising enough for him to struggle to get free, and get up the beach but his leg was badly damaged, there were so many casualties that his regiment had to amalgamate with another one.

He survived the war, to live to sixty nine.

Are there any who were there, who have a personal memory?

[Santerme]

Nowhere near old enough to have a personal memory of the day....

I have been privileged to attend many of the reunions over the years and participated in the 60th anniversary drop.

Met Richard Todd on a few occasions, who perversely starred in the Longest Day and was at the Bridge over the Orne on D Day as a member of 7th Parachute Battalion.

[numbers]

There was a great programme on the other night about 'D' Day.

Watched it thinking the men they were interviewing must be pretty old by now then realised it was already 9 years old. Think they should have had some Canadians on it tho.

[Santerme]

I think the Canadians have the best museum in Normandy....in the summer it is staffed by High School students who are bi lingual from all across Canada.

Really worth a visit.

[steveo]

computedshorty - what a terrible story.

I understand that the landing craft were so unstable that everyone was seasick before they made the shore - so you're terrified and ill.

To think that when the ramp goes down, you drown underneath the damn thing is too awful.

They probably told the families that their sons died like heroes, instead of completely pointlessly.

At least your brother got away.

[El Pibe]

My old RE teacher was a landing craft pilot. He got seperated from the fleet and joined up with the Americans and went to Omaha.

There he spent the day ferrying soldiers and wounded to and from the beaches often under withering fire, disembarking himself to help with the casualties.

By the end of the day the commanding officer was so impressed with his contribution that he got the flag that was hoisted when the beach was taken and presented it to him.

I only found this out after his death in his obituary; he was a quiet mild mannered chap who was ludicrously optimistic about the young generation when everyone else was telling us what a bunch of ingrates and thugs we were (to be fair that was a pretty accurate description of my school).

His wife found the flag at the bottom of a souvenir drawer and gave it back. She was present at the unveiling ceremony at the US Naval museum in Virginia where it has pride of place.

[steveo]

If I'd been a landing craft pilot, I'd have headed for Sweden

[computedshorty]

D Day for the troops might be thought to be indescribable to those living at home, but within fourteen days of the landings in France, we living in Lordship Lane became the target of the V 1 Flying Bombs and the V 2 Rockets, many destroying our homes in Lordship Lane and close by streets, troops might be expected to be wounded in battle but many of their families now lost their lives in their own home, so if a soldier survived the battles would his home remain for his return?

[Huggers]

My mother fled across Harpenden Common with a doodlebug overhead as she pushed my eldest brothers pram. The doodlebug continued and it's engine cut just a bit further ahead and blew up the golf course.

[Alan Medic]

What part of lordship lane is that shorty?

[computedshorty]

Prevous piture is this.05/08/1944

This was a very serious V1 incident, one of the worst in South London. The V1 hit the co-op store at the corner of Northross Road in Lordship Lane. The Co-op and 6 other shops were demolished and 20 houses damaged in Lordship land and 40 in Shawbury Road. A Salvation army hall was also damaged. It is stated in ARP reports held in the public records office that damage extended across a 700 yard radius, greater than the normal blast area. This is probably due to the fact that later V1's were packed with a heavier, more deadly warhead. It was also reported that Anderson shelters in the area stood up well to the blast. Bulldozers were called in to clear the debris and one tram track was cleared by 20.30 of the same day. The whole block where the Coop stood has been re-developed with post war shops. The opposite side of Lordship Lane also shows significant signs of re-building as do houses up Shawbury Road

[computedshorty]

This is the V1 that Fell 14 days after D Day.

20/06/1944

18:12 pm.

The first V1 to fall in Dulwich 8 houses were demolished,55 suffered severe damage and 71 slight damage. The area today around Friern Road and Etherow Street has been totally re-developed as a result of this V1 and the V2 which fell on the 1st November

[computedshorty]

This was the one that fell fouteen doors down from my home.

22/08/1944

05:00 am.

This V1 in Lordship lane fell on the West side just South of the junction with Townley Road. It demolished 20 houses in Lordship lane and damaged 130 others in Lordship Lane, Beauval Road and Heber Road. The impact site is very clear to see particularly on the West side of Lordship lane where the site is still partly populated with pre-fabs. The other side of the road has also been re-developed post-war.

[????]

I've got my nan's diary from 1944 and I've dug it out for stuff on the V1s, in the end she and my mum and aunty went to Liverpool to escape them, which was an irony as my mum never got evacuated during the 1941 Blitz. My kids are going to have a great history project with this one daY

Thursday June 15th, First doodle bug, scared me stiff, up all night

Friday, 16th More doodles all day, spent most of the day under the stairs, made beds on the kitchen floor as archie on home guard (my grandad)

Sat 17th, Getting a little used to doodles but can't eat or do any work, will have to buck up - will be crackers if this goes on for long

Sunday 18th, No mass today, too scared, managed to cook dinner between scares, non very near

it just goes on my nan's fear and then 29th

29th Joan (my Mum - about 7 then) seems to be crying all day, except when Doodles come over, then laughs hysterically

The trivial things I worry about!

Thanks CS for getting me to dig that out, there's loads of stuff in there that makes me realise how lucky we are

[steveo]

There's a new bench at Court Lane Gardens commemorating the deaths of, I think, six people in a V2 strike. There were three killed from one family.

It's inconceivable that on a day just like this you might walk down Court Lane and be hit by a rocket.

Does anyone know how big the blast site would have been/was?

[computedshorty]

06/01/1945. 17:06 pm.

This serious incident occurred when a V2 fell in Court Lane, at the end of DoverCourt Road. 7 houses were demolished in Court Lane and a further 20 badly damaged. All the houses in Court Lane gardens suffered damage as did 12 in Eastland Crescent and 8 in Dover court Road. The damaged houses have been repaired and the 7 demolished ones re-built. They can be easily spotted because of their different style to their neighbours and the 1940' metal windows.

This came under the area of the Dulwich Village

Post no 60 Air Raid Wardens based at Pickwick Road, but due to the neerness of the East Dulwich Wardens based in the Library, they also attended the rescues my father was a Warden who helped.

There's a new bench at Court Lane Gardens commemorating the 7 deaths.

I might venture a guess the author of the Website V1 Doodle Bugs and V2 Rockets ( Steve ) has now returned to live in Court Lane. who's Grand parents were involved in that bombing, he might have been involved with the Bench.

[numbers]

shorty, what amazing pics of London during the war. Glad your brother was ok. Love the history on this thread.

ah quids, your nan's diary is just brilliant to read, it really transports you to another era. Def an excellent history project for the kids!

santerme - that museum sounds well worth a visit for sure.

[computedshorty]

The bomb that dropped in Lordship Lane between Northcross Road and Shawbury Road has only shown the site as it was cleared up afterwards.

I have now traced a Picture of the place before it was bombed, unfortunatly it has an over print on it, but it does give an idea of the place as it was.

[computedshorty]

This is an old picture of Lordhip Lane near the Library showing where Enid Blytons home was destroyed.