The three pictures of bombed out buildings on Canvey Island were taken from a souvenir edition of a local newspaper published on the 40th anniversary of the outbreak of WW2.
The bungalow above was wrecked during the month of September 1940 roundabout a year after war broke out.
This picture shows members of the Civil Defence Reserve clearing the wreckage of another bungalow about three years later.
Again this picture was taken in 1943.
If anyone can identify where these buildings were, or if you have stories of the bombings please get in touch.
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I could be wrong but I have a feeling that these bungalows were in a road just on the village side of Long road Primary school (Headmaster Mr Benson).
They were flattened by a V1 (flying bomb) a very common sight on Canvey at that time. A little boy who used to sit near me in school was killed. I think his name was Peter Howard but I could be Wrong, it was a long time ago.
Geoff.
Thanks for your comment Geoff – Maybe Clr Ray Howard can shed some more light on these events as I understand he and his family were involved in a bombing during the war, possibly in the Deepwater Drive area?
Hi it was Ray Howards House his Brother died and Ray was badly injured
I remember this incident too and have written about it in my memoirs. My mum and I were in ‘Ives’ the shoe shop near the Haystack Pub, on what I think was possibly a Saturday afternoon.
Suddenly, there was an almighty ‘thud’ and all the shoe boxes on the shelves shook. Over the weekend, we heard that a bomb had dropped near our school.
When I went to school on the Monday the boy who usually sat next to me, wasn’t there. I’ve always thought his name was Eric Howard but I could be wrong, as I was only six or seven at the time.
I lived at 3 Deepwater Rd next door to Ray Howard, I used to play with Peter, Eric and Ray. I don’t recognise the bomb damaged houses shown, are you sure they are from the Deepwater Rd ‘Doodlebug’? We didn’t have any trees in our Road. What does Ray think?
I believe a bomb/doodlebug dropped in Oxford Road. Could the pictures relate to that incident?
Does anybody out there remember the name of Betty Brace’s sister? Betty was killed by the doodlebug in Deepwater Rd.
Not sure if these are the pictures of the damaged bungalows in Deepwater Road, but I will check with my dad John Howard. I can confirm that both John’s brothers Peter and Eric, along with their cousin Betty Brace were killed when the Doodlebug hit. Along with their neighbour Ped Scott. Betty also had a brother called Albert. The Howards bungalow was called Drake Lodge. Peter, Eric and Betty were all buried at St Katherines in the Village. John’s Mother Elizabeth was buried in the rubble, and also lost the baby she was carrying. Doris and Ray were also buried in the rubble. John had just got off the bus at the top of the road with his friend Barry Jones, when the bomb exploded.
My nan used to live near hear, I remember her telling me the story of the bomb that fell on the Howard’s house. Her name then was Norma Smith (brothers Bryan and David). I will try to get her on the net to have a look at these old pictures and old stories. Very interesting read. Thank You
I am the sister of Betty Brace killed by the doodlebug in Deepwater Road. Betty worked in the post office opposite and was collecting the daily paper money on that day. Our brother Alf was very badly injured on that day but survived. I am now 78 and still visit Betty’s grave at St Katherines that is now the Heritage Centre. The brothers of Ray Howard were buried in my sister’s grave as Ray’s father was at war and their mother was in hospital badly injured.
I remember the Sept 1940 bombing picture. I lived in the Red Cow at the time and I’m pretty sure that the bungalow was in Green Avenue or nearby. It was a german ‘oil bomb’ and it was just one bomb that was dropped, and I remember passing it on my way too and from school.
On 6th September 1940, 2.40am 3 High Explosive shells landed on Canvey in Tilbury Road, Denham Road, and Urmond Road.
Looking at the wreckage I would have thought it would be High Explosive and not an incendiary Bomb as no evidence of fire.
On 16th August 1943 at 23:55, 1 High Explosive shell exploded in Oxford Road causing 24 casualties of whom 1 was sadly killed, and extensive damage to property including the telephone exchange as a result of which the telephone service was temporarily out of action, also damage to gas main and overhead electric cables Norman and Oxford Roads (both unclassified) blocked.
Couldn’t have been a V1, The first doodlebug (V1) hit Britain on 13 June 1944.
Two of the damaged properties in Oxford road were Number 5 and Number 7. Applications were filed in September / October 1946 to repair them.
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