Elmers End Bus Garage Memorial
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| 1. London Transport Museum Covent Garden, London The Elmers End memorial can be found here |
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| 2. Elmers End Bus station memorial Information board at the museum |
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3. Elmers End memorial display
'London Transport at war' section
London Transport Museum
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4. Elmers End Bus Station memorial (detail)
Records the names of 10 staff killed_________________________ |
V1 bombing of Elmers End, Beckenham, London
Ten years later, in 1954, a memorial tablet was dedicated at Elmers End bus station commemorating the 10 staff members who died. A second tablet was unveiled at the main entrance gate to the station which was named after one of the engineering staff, John Cunningham, who had sounded the alarm bell warning of the approaching V1 before he was killed.
When Elmers End bus station was closed in 1986 the memorials were moved. The 'Cunningham Gate' memorial was moved to the another London Transport garage at Norwood, also south London. Initially the main bus station war memorial was taken to the London Transport Museum at Acton. It has subsequently been cleaned up and incorporated into a section of the museum's 'London Transport at War' section at Covent Garden, London, as can be seen in the above photographs.
For additional information click on 'Comments' below.
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posted by ritsonvaljos at 1:43 pm
3 Comments:
Memorial inscription
Above the memorial is the following eye-witness description of the bombing, although it does not give a name:
"That sound was to haunt us for the rest of our lives, we suffered the trauma of hearing the approaching sound ... followed by those dreadful seconds of silence until the ear-shattering explosion came."
At the top of the memorial is London Transport's griffin symbol, followed by the following wording:
"In Memory of
John E. Cunningham
Herbert W. Leach
Florence M. Rarp
Thomas W. Sharpe
Walter J. Singlehurst
Michael Smythe
Charles Stares
Frank W. Stevens
Fredk. H. Westbroom
Alfred Wilbourne
London Transport staff
Killed here by an
Enemy flying bomb
18th July 1944"
.................................
CWGC listings for the Elmers End Bus Garage staff
These are the Commonwealth War Graves records for the ten London Transport staff who lost their lives after the V1 bombing of the Elmers End bus garage on 18 July 1944:
(1) John Edward Cunningham
Category: Civilian
Name: CUNNINGHAM, JOHN EDWARD
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 54
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
of 164 Meadow View Road, Catford, London.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...............................................
(2) Herbert William Leach
Category: Civilian
Name: LEACH, HERBERT WILLIAM
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 50
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Husband of Mary Elizabeth Leach, of 93 Devonshire Road, Forest Hill, Essex.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
................................................
(3) Florence May Rarp
Category: Civilian
Name: RARP, FLORENCE MAY
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 32
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Daughter of Florence M. Macaulay, of 18 Clifton Road, South Norwood.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...........................................
(4) Thomas William Sharpe
Category: Civilian / Home Guard
Name: SHARPE, THOMAS WILLIAM
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 44
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Home Guard;
Son of Henry William and Rachel Sharpe, of Chelsea, London;
husband of Eileen Mary Sharpe, of 63 Chestnut Avenue.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
................................................
(5) Walter James Singlehurst
Category: Civilian
Name: SINGLEHURST, WALTER JAMES
Date of death: 19/07/1944
Aged: 62
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Husband of Florence Singlehurst of 119 Pickhurst Rise, West Wickham.
Injured 18 July 1944, at Elmers End Bus Garage;
died at Beckenham Hospital.
...............................................
(6) Michael Eugene Smythe
Category: Civilian
Name: SMYTH, MICHAEL EUGENE
Date of death: 18/07/1944
Aged: 28
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Ambulance Driver;
of 29 Whitmore Road.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
.................................................
(7) Charles Stares
Category: Civilian
Name: STARES, CHARLES
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 52
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Husband of Martha Eliza Stares, of 41 Warwick Road, Anerley.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...............................................
(8) Frank William Stevens
Category: Civilian
Name: STEVENS, FRANK WILLIAM
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 32
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Son of Mrs. F. W. Stevens, of 8 Elm Road, Warlingham, Surrey;
husband of P. Stevens, of 9 Arrol Road.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
................................................
(9) Frederick Henry Westbroom
Category: Civilian
Name: WESTBROOM, FREDERICK HENRY
Date of death: Died 19/07/1944
Aged: 49
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
of 17 Shroffold Road, Downham.
[Injured 18 July 1944, at Elmers End Bus Garage];
Died at Beckenham Hospital.
...........................................................
(10) Alfred John Wilbourn
Category: Civilian
Name: WILBOURN, ALFRED JOHN
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 50
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Son of the late William George and Eliza Jane Wilbourn;
husband of Hilda Victoria Wilbourn, of 42 Ashcroft Crescent, Sidcup.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
______________________________
Others killed by the V1 bombing of Elmers End Bus Station
There were seven other civilian casualties who lost their lives as a result of the V1 bombing of Elmers End bus garage. As they were not on the staff of London Transport their names are not listed on the memorial now found in the London Transport Museum.
Nevertheless, their names are listed below, obtained from a search of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission register.
(1) Ellen Burton
Category: Civilian
Name: BURTON, ELLEN
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 74
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
of 82 Tannsfeld Road, Sydenham.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...................................................
(2) Leonard George
Category: Civilian
Name: GEORGE, LEONARD
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 42
Type of category: Civilian War Dead
Additional informaton:
Heavy Rescue Service.
Husband of Jessie Ellen George, of 17 Worbeck Road, Anerley.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...................................................
(3) Florence Eugenie Grey
Category: Civilian
Name: GREY, FLORENCE EUGENIE
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 47
Type of category: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
of 16 Venner Road, Sydenham.
Daughter of the late David Robertson Grey, of 9 Penge Lane, Penge.
Injured at Elmers End Bus Garage;
died same day at Beckenham Hospital.
..........................................................
(4) Herbert James Hutchins
Category: Civilian
Name: HUTCHINS, HERBERT JAMES
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 51
Type of casualty: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Husband of Lilian May Hutchins, of 11 Oakfield Gardens Eden Park.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...........................................................
(5) Herbert William Leach
Category: Civilian
Name: LEACH, HERBERT WILLIAM
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 50
Type of category: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Husband of Mary Elizabeth Leach, of 93 Devonshire Road, Forest Hill, Essex. Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
...........................................................
(6) Joan Ottoway
Category: Civilian
Name: OTTOWAY, JOAN
Date of death: 18/07/1944
Aged: 24
Type of category: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Daughter of Mrs. M. Easey, of 4 St. Margaret's Villas;
wife of Fus. Arthur Frederick Ottoway, The Royal Fusiliers
of 37 Stembridge Road, Anerley.
Injured at Elmers End;
died same day at Beckenham Hospital.
..............................................................
(7) Sydney Arthur Steer
Caetegory: Civilian
Name: STEER, SYDNEY ARTHUR
Date of death: Died 18/07/1944
Aged: 17
Type of category: Civilian War Dead
Additional information:
Son of Mr. and Mrs. H. Steer, of 31 Abert Road, Penge.
Died at Elmers End Bus Garage.
_______________________________
Gone but not forgotten.
May they rest in peace!
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