Friday 1st November 1940 – South Island Place & Crewdson Road

Almost exactly one month since the last battering the bombers returned and managed to not just hit the same part of Crewdson Road but to smash a chunk out of South Island Place too.

A summary of the incident

Time that the bombs hit23:15
Type of bomb/sHigh Explosive
Was anyone hurt or killed?One person was killed, many were injured
Where did the bombs land?On top of houses on Crewdson Road and South Island Place
Were houses damaged?Yes, some completely demolished
Were businesses damaged?No
Were there evacuations?Yes

In memory of those that were killed in this incident

Using the invaluable Commonwealth War Graves Commission website I have been able to find the following casualties from this incident

NameMorris Jolka
Age68
Other InformationRussian National; of 13 Varden Street. Husband of Sarah Jolka. Died at 39 Crewsdon Road.

Sites of the bombs are indicated with red dots on the map below:

The civil defence incident log reads:

Date1.11.40
Time23:35 PM
Position of OccuranceCrewdson Road
Type of bombsHigh Explosive
Casualties (Approx)2
Whether any trapped under wreckage2
FireNo
Damage to MainsWater & Coal Gas
Names of any roads blockedNil
Position of any unexploded bombsNil
Time of occurance23:15
Notes/

The civil defence messages sent back and forth to the local ARP (Air raid precaution) depot read as follows:

DateTimeText of Message
1.11.4023:29 PMExpress Report Casualties at Crewdson Road
1.11.4023:59 PMExpress Report Casualties at 36 South Island place
2.11.402:27 AMSupplementary Report Crewdson Road. 23:15 hrs. High Explosive.
41,43,39 demolished.
37,35 partly demolished.
2 persons trapped on first floor. 1 since released.
R/P in attendance. Road cleaning services required.
2.11.402:30 AMSupplementary Report South Island Place. 23:15 hrs. High Explosive.
26-48 South Island Place severely damaged. 5 slightly injured.
1 serious. R/P number 8 left for depot. Road cleaning services required.
Several cases of shock were taken to Belgrave Hospital by wardens.
2.11.408:55 AMPlease send car for a casualty (badly sprained or broken ankle) at 60A Brixton Road.
Please call at post in direction (Crewdson Road incident) Casualty just discovered.
2.11.409:51 AMSupplementary Report One civilian death. Body at 39 Crewdson Road. M.O.H informed.
2.11.4011:16 AMThere are 48 homeless from the Crewdson Road incident in Christ Church Hall.
Mr Wilcox informed. As there is not sufficient accomodation here any arrangements are being made.
2.11.4014:06 PMSupplementary Report Crewdson Road & South Island Place. 23:15 hrs. High Explosive.
29 to 59 Crewdson Road uninhabitable.
31 to 51 Crewdson Road demolished.
26 to 22 South Island Place uninhabitable.
46 to 28 South Island Place demolished.
48 South Island Place partly demolished

Back to Bombing incidents within our area from 1940

0 Responses to Friday 1st November 1940 – South Island Place & Crewdson Road

  1. Fred Wadham says:

    Please can you say who lived at 37 Crewsdon Rd at the time of the raid was it Cyril and Pauline Klean/

    Thanks

    Fred

    • Chriscat says:

      Hi Fred

      I don’t know I’m afraid, basically the information that I use is what was logged by the Civil Defence teams and unless they wrote down the names of who lived where I do not have access to that information, the Census for this period will not be available for many years still. Can I ask who Cyril and Pauline were? Were they your relatives? If you let me know more information I might be able to think of other sources to look through, were they injured when number 37 was damaged? I’d be really interested in hearing more from you?

      Kind regards,

      Chris

      Chris

  2. Sharon hardcastle says:

    Can I say how interesting all this information is about crewsdon road as I used to live at no 28 with my parents till the mid 80s and I remember well the gap between South Island place and crewsdon road. I used to go to reay primary and my downstairs neighbour was living at crewsdon road during the blitz she used to shelter in her cellar.

  3. Sara Tait says:

    Hi,
    My great great uncle Walter Findon Barfoot and his wife Ethel were living at 37 Crewdson Road according to the 1939 Electoral register. Assuming them still to be living there in 1940, I had no idea until I saw this website what a horrendous ordeal they went through during the bombing.

    Regards,
    Sara

  4. John says:

    My family lived at 61 Clapham Road (on the corner of Crewsden Road) and the house was badly damaged on the night of the 1st and 2nd of November 1940. We then moved to Brighton.

    My mother’s side of the family by the name of Hatley had lived in this house since the 1880s/1890s.

    Kind regards

    John

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