Hi all,
Trying to track down (for a friend) if a certain person was actually killed by a Doodlebug in 1945. He was killed in Sidcup on Footscray Lane, 20th March 1945. Right place, about the right time. His name was Joseph Henry Parker, and he was a carpenter and joiner, but at the time of his death he was 73. It’s believed he was working in a furniture factory Graybrooke Works; and his death certificate says he died ‘due to war operations’.
Any leads or info? We are interested if there was a Doodlebug which exploded there then, and, if anyone knows, what he may have been working on at that factory. Many TIA!
Cheers
By: Super Nimrod - 8th October 2007 at 13:05
When I last visited the Imperial War museum about 15 years ago in London they had an interactive display where you could select individual incidents involving Doodlebugs and I think bombs as well. There seemed to be a complete list as we found the incident that damaged my fathers house. As part of it it named those whom lost their lives and the damage to the streets and buildings concerned. I presume the database still exists somewhere or is it the same one as mentioned in the CD-Rom above ? :confused:
By: buckingham - 8th October 2007 at 12:19
Hi there would just like to point out Mount Morris Smith is wrong should read 56 not 36 and his daughter still lives at blackhorse road Mount Morris was killed in the Craybrooke works.
Dave
By: JDK - 6th April 2004 at 22:10
Hi Geof,
That’s teriffic. Many thanks for this. My friend will be delighted for the info so far, and more would be great.
Cheers
By: von Perthes - 6th April 2004 at 18:08
James,
I can’t believe how local this is to me. Sidcup is in the borough where I live! If you can wait until sometime next week, I will go to our borough local studies dept & do some research on your friend’s behalf.
In the meantime, this might be of interest, taken from ‘The Sidcup Story’ by John Mercer – ‘The worst air raid incident occurred at 8.20am on 3rd March 1945 when a rocket fell in the Craybrooke Works of Mr Thomas Knight. The builder’s yard was totally demolished as were eight houses and one shop. There were nine fatal casualties and 53 people were treated at Queen Mary’s Hospital. The rocket caused a crater 24 feet in diameter and 8 feet deep.’
Now, I have the complete CWGC Civilian War Dead Register on CD-ROM, I’ve checked through the whole of this, and can find no record of nine people being killed as the result of such an incident in Sidcup on the 3rd March 1945. However, on the 20th March 1945, the nine people below were all killed, or fatally injured, in Sidcup, including Mr Joseph Henry Parker. Note that George Kellick also died at the Craybrooke Works. I’m sure that the account from ‘The Sidcup Story’ has the date wrong, given the number of people killed & the two who died at the Craybooke Works, but I will confirm this for you next week.
DOWSING, Civilian, BERNARD CECIL, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 40. Air Raid Warden (Bomb Reconnaissance Officer). Son of Marian Dowsing, of 44 Craybrooke Road, Sidcup. Died at St. John’s Parade, Sidcup.
MANNERS, Civilian, ADA, Civilian War Dead. 22nd March 1945. Age 48. of Craybrooke House, Footscray Lane, Sidcup. Wife of Cecil Manners. Injured 20 March 1945, at Craybrooke House, Footscray Lane; died at Queen Mary’s Hospital.
MANNERS, Civilian, MARJORIE ALICE, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 54. W.L.A.; of Craybrooke House, Footscray Lane, Sidcup. Daughter of the late George T. and Anne Manners, of 30 Stanhope Road, Sidcup. Injured at Craybrooke House, Footscray Lane; died same day at Queen Mary’s Hospital.
PARKER, Civilian, JOSEPH HENRY, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 73. of 34 Ellison Road, Sidcup. Died at Craybrooke Works, Footscray Lane, Sidcup.
GRAMMER, Civilian, DONALD ERNEST, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 33. A.S.A.A. Son of Albert E. Grammer, of 19 Lothair Road, South Harringay, Middlesex, and of the late A. E. Grammer; husband of Elsie Margaret Grammer, of 13 Craybrooke Road, Sidcup. Injured at 13 Craybrooke Road; died same day at Queen Mary’s Hospital.
JACKSON, Civilian, THOMAS WILLIAM, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 75. of 13 Jubilee Road, Foots Cray. Died at Junction of Foots Cray Lane and Sidcup Hill
KELLICK, Civilian, GEORGE, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 49. Son of the late Arthur and Mary Ann Kellick; husband of Ella Winifred Kellick, of 20 Lullingstone Avenue, Swanley. Died at Craybrooke Works, Foots Cray Lane, Sidcup.
SEWELL, Civilian, NELLIE FLORENCE, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 52. of 9 Craybrooke Road, Sidcup. Wife of Charles Ernest Sewell. Injured at 9 Craybrooke Road; died same day at Queen Mary’s Hospital.
SMITH, Civilian, MOUNT MORRIS, Civilian War Dead. 20th March 1945. Age 36. Husband of Thirza Smith, of 3 Blackhorse Road, Sidcup. Died at Sidcup High Street.
Just checked ‘The Blitz, then & now, & it was certainly a V2 rocket, NOT a Doodlebug.
I bet you never expected to get such a comprehensive answer so soon!
Geoff.
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April 6, 2004 at 3:40 pm