Sunday 8th December 1940 – Caldwell Street, Liberty Street & Hackford Road

London took a real battering on this night with several famous landmarks hit, notably – ParliamentAll Souls, Langham Place, the Langham Hotel and Broadcasting House

Locally it wasn’t one of the worse attacks our area had seen, there were no reported casualties. The already shattered nerves of locals were no doubt given a shaking again as however as high explosives tore up the road sending water and debris in all directions. The disruption to the water and gas supply, the roads being closed off and sewers being blasted open all added to the wearying affects of war.

The civil defence incident log reads:

DateTimeText of Message
8.12.4023:04Express Report Casualties at Caldwell Street between Clapham Road and Brixton Road (shelter)
8.12.4023:45Supplementary Report. Caldwell Street - Corner of Liberty Street. 22:53 hours. High Explosive.
Craters both in roadway.
Liberty Street crater has water main burst.
Caldwell Street blocked.
Casualties - Nil.
Calm.
Roof of number 3 Caldwell Street damaged through debris.
Water main burst is running into sewer.
This incident is temporarily closed until dawn.
9.12.409.05Supplementary Report. Caldwell Street - Corner of Liberty Street. 22:53 hours. High Explosive.
Crater - 35 feet by 10 feet centre of roadway.
Sewer broken, water and gas mains broken.
Crater blocked Liberty Street and Caldwell Street to Hackford Road.
No surrounding property damaged.
12.12.4011.4Re: incident Caldwell Street & Liberty Street at 22:53 hrs - 8.12.40.
This crater has been attended to by Corbett FT as from 12:00 today Caldwell Street from Clapham Road end to Morat Street will be closed to traffic.


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

DateTimeText of Message
8.12.4023:04Express Report Casualties at Caldwell Street between Clapham Road and Brixton Road (shelter)
8.12.4023:45Supplementary Report. Caldwell Street - Corner of Liberty Street. 22:53 hours. High Explosive.
Craters both in roadway.
Liberty Street crater has water main burst.
Caldwell Street blocked.
Casualties - Nil.
Calm.
Roof of number 3 Caldwell Street damaged through debris.
Water main burst is running into sewer.
This incident is temporarily closed until dawn.
9.12.409.05Supplementary Report. Caldwell Street - Corner of Liberty Street. 22:53 hours. High Explosive.
Crater - 35 feet by 10 feet centre of roadway.
Sewer broken, water and gas mains broken.
Crater blocked Liberty Street and Caldwell Street to Hackford Road.
No surrounding property damaged.
12.12.4011.4Re: incident Caldwell Street & Liberty Street at 22:53 hrs - 8.12.40.
This crater has been attended to by Corbett FT as from 12:00 today Caldwell Street from Clapham Road end to Morat Street will be closed to traffic.

Back to Bombing incidents within our area from 1940

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