Air Raids on Southend

Southend was often used by the German bombers as a dumping ground for their bomb loads during the war if their primary target was not possible to hit, there were too many of these incidents to list. There were 1236 air raid warnings. December 1914: Southend receives the first air raid in the country of the First World War, a lone bomber flew over the town dropping rust rivets. The first real bombs of the war were dropped on Dover on 14th December 1914. Sunday 9th & Monday 10th May 1915: Air raid. Wednesday 26th May 1915: The Zeppelin returns. Sunday 12th August 1917: The streets ran with blood. Monday 13th August 1917: Love Lane bombed. Friday 24th August 1917: Southend bombed, Guildford Road area. Monday 20th November 1939: Heinkel floatplanes from Kostenfliegerstaffel 3/906 (coastal reconnaissance squadron) lay magnetic mines in Estuary. Tuesday 21st November 1939: Heinkel floatplanes from Kostenfliegerstaffel 3/906 (coastal reconnaissance squadron) return and lay more magnetic mines in Estuary. Wednesday 22nd November 1939: Southend Pier attacked by German bombers 14 magnetic mines recovered, Southend anchorage Eastern Section out of action for 4 months. Thursday 23rd November 1939: Magnetic Mines found off Southend, mine detonates in mouth of Thames. 17th December 1939: 5 ships mined in Southend anchorage (incoming convoy). Monday 5th February 1940 -Tuesday 6th February 1940: Southend bombed. Saturday 18th May 1940: Two German bombers attack Southend scoring direct hits on the Nore Yacht club wrecking it and destroying a Billet near the airfield killing 10 soldiers. Tuesday 18th June 1940: Southend bombed. Wednesday 19th June 1940: Shoeburyness bombed, 1 killed. Friday 12th July 1940: Convoy bombed during muster off Southend. Saturday 13th July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Friday 19th July 1940: 15 raids on Estuary. Saturday 20th July 1940: RAF Rochford bombed. Sunday 21st July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Monday 22nd July 1940: Shipping bombed in Estuary. Tuesday 23rd July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Thursday 25th July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Friday 26th July 1940: Estuary bombed. Sunday 28th July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Monday 29th July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Wednesday 31st July 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Southend bombed, RAF Rochford bombed. Thursday 1st August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Friday 2nd August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Tuesday 6th August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Wednesday 7th August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Localised raids on Southend area. Thursday 8th August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Friday 9th August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Saturday 10th August 1940: Southend bombed with most falling on mud near the gas works. Sunday 11th August 1940: Two raids of 100 aircraft attack convoys at muster in Thames Estuary at 11:48am. Monday 12th August 1940: Estuary convoys bombed 25+ aircraft attack two convoys at anchor at 11:01. HM Trawlers Pyropek and Tamarisk sunk. Tuesday 13th August 1940: Southend Pier bombed, RAF Rochford bombed. Friday 16th August 1940: Raids on Estuary. Saturday 17th August 1940: Lone fighter bomber in nuisance raid over Southend. Sunday 18th August 1940: Raids on Thames Estuary between 17:40-18.00; 54 bomber raids on Shoeburyness 4 houses destroyed, water-mains signal-box 7 rail tracks also destroyed 3 killed, 1 Raider shot down 1 German airman found dead on beach 2nd injured, RAF Hurricane shot down in Thames Estuary, pilot rescued. Monday 19th August 1940: 15 recognizance aircraft make aggressive observations of Southend and the Thames Estuary. Tuesday 20th August 1940: Raid of 110 bombers driven off from attack on Southend. Thursday 22nd August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary. Monday 26th August 1940: RAF Rochford bombed. Tuesday 27th August 1940: Mines laid in Thames Estuary between 04:00-04:40. Wednesday 28th August 1940: RAF Rochford bombed heavily by 15 He111's at 13;00hrs dropping 15 tons of high explosives most landing on the airfield but some do fall around the site. 9 raiders were shot down one of the raiding bombers crash lands on the airfield. The airfield was forced to close at night and have single aircraft taking off and landing at day-light due to the damage to buildings fires and damage to runways. Raid on the Thames Estuary sees 12 out of 100 raiders shot down between 15:50-16:45. Two women are killed in the Victoria area of the town by a stray bomb during. A raid on the Thames Estuary by 60 aircraft at 19:00hrs with one being shot down. Thursday 29th August 1940: RAF Rochford remains closed due to time delay bombs. Friday 30th August 1940: Thames Estuary bombed. Saturday 31st August 1940: RAF Rochford bombed. August 1940: Claims made by Nazi war mongers that RAF Rochford had been obliterated, by an air raid what was left was a mass of smoking burning ruins. Raid by 21 He111's "stick raid" from shore-end of the pier to airfield. August 1940: Air Battle over Southend during raid sees a German aircraft shot down crashing onto Lifstans Way 2 crew parachuted out landing on Thorpe Bay Golf Club and on the mud opposite, 2 were found dead in the wreck and another dead hanging from a tree by his parachute. Sunday 1st September 1940: RAF Rochford unserviceable due to craters after raid. Monday 2nd September 1940: Thames Estuary raid. Tuesday 3rd September 1940: Thames Estuary raid. Wednesday 4th September 1940: Heavy raids on the Thames Estuary. Thursday 5th September 1940: Mines dropped. Saturday 7th September 1940: RAF Rochford attacked and left unserviceable for short time. Tuesday 17th September 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Thursday 19th September 1940: Southend, Southchurch, bombed, one German shot down 7 houses destroyed Electric gas water ruptured with gas fire igniting later by HE Bombs during 10:00am raid. Saturday 21st September 1940: Fighter sweeps along Estuary & Southend. Wednesday 25th September 1940: Ju88 shot down during raid on Southend, Rochford crashing into Estuary. 1940hrs; mines also dropped in Estuary. Saturday 28th September 1940: RAF Rochford bombed. Convoys in Estuary attacked. Monday 30th September 1940: Mines dropped in Thames Estuary. Autumn 1940: Southend Hospital dive-bombed. Friday 4th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Sunday 6th October 1940: Southend Thames Estuary raids by solo aircraft. Monday 7th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Tuesday 8th October 1940: Convoy attacked in Thames Estuary. Thursday 10th October 1940: HMS Venetia. Destroyer, mined in the Thames Estuary, Westcliff bombed Fleetwood Ave area. Sunday 13th October 1940: Southend bombed near Kursaal. Thursday 17th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Sunday 20th October 1940: Shoebury raided. Thursday 24th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Friday 25th October 1940: Thames Estuary convoy attacked at 1740hrs, help was answered by 4 Spitfires but raiders flew off before interception was made. Saturday 26th October 1940: Southend raided; Thames Estuary mined. Sunday 27th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Tuesday 29th October 1940: Thames Estuary mined. Wednesday 30th October 1940: 12 mine-laying raids reported in Thames Estuary. Tuesday 12th November 1940: Southend bombed. Tuesday 19th November 1940: Southend bombed. Wednesday 27th November 1940: Southend bombed. November 1940: Dornier crash lands on airfield. Sunday 8th December 1940 - Sunday 15th December 1941: A large convoy begins to muster in the Estuary, over the week 350 LX Luftkorps bombers bomb the fleet each aircraft carried two mines. Monday 9th December 1940: Southend, Westcliff & Leigh bombed. Thursday 12th December 1940 - Friday 13th December 1941: During the night of the 12th and the early hours of the 13th no fewer than 93 LX Luftkorps bombers arrive over the Estuary. Thursday 19th December 1940: Tanker Mined in Thames Estuary. Late 1940: Block of flats suffers direct hit. Tuesday 7th January 1941: Hit & Run attack on RAF Rochford eight fifty-kilo bombs dropped. Thursday 9th January 1941: Southend bombed. Monday 13th January 1941: Estuary bombed. Sunday 19th January 1941: Five-hundred incendiaries dropped on Southend, Westcliff, Chalkwell, & Leigh after German bombers are forced to turn back from an attack on London by heavy Ack-Ack fire and increased patrols by night fighters, the town was hit after the Nazi bombers failed to locate the airfield and Estuary Bombed by delayed action bombs and land-mines dropped on Thorpe Bay. Tuesday 4th February 1941: Southend bombed, Campbell Road, York Road, Tylers Avenue the London Tavern was badly damaged seven killed and 60ft crater created. Tuesday February 1941: Southend Pier Railway station hit bomb coaches destroyed & damaged. Sunday March 1941: Lone dive bomber hits Southend Hospital ward for elderly men. Saturday 19th April 1941: Para-mine dropped on Vardon Drive, 18 bungalows destroyed 175 damaged; 500 incendiaries dropped on Leigh, 9 houses destroyed, 350 damaged, 3 people killed. Sunday 11th May 1941: RAF Rochford bombed by 18 dive bombers one of the aircraft did not pull out of its dive in time and crashed in to a hanger. Sunday 18th May 1941: Two low flying German aircraft hit the Nore Yacht Club, 10 Soldiers killed in Billet after direct hit. Thursday 5th June 1941: Naval Tug ASH mined and sunk. Tuesday 1st July 1941: Luftwaffe sows acoustic mines in the Estuary. November 1941: Shipping attacked in Estuary three boats damaged. November 1941: Large Para-mine dropped on Colemans Avenue, Prittlewell destroying most of the street 760 other buildings damaged 1 killed 30 injured. Saturday 20th - Sunday 21st December 1941: Shoeburyness Land-mines dropped. Friday 9th January 1942: HMS Vimiera destroyer. Mined in the Thames Estuary. Monday 11th May 1942: The largest raid yet by the Me109 fighter bombers of the JG26 takes place with the main force attacking Southend. Wednesday 1st July 1942: Acoustic mines dropped in Thames Estuary. Monday 10th October 1942: Southend bombed London Hotel, R. A. Jones and the Cash Clothing Store all in the High Street hit and a lone Messerschmitt BF109 drops bombs on the sea front area of the town the gunner shooting indiscriminately at civilians killing four men and injuring a further forty-six people. Monday 19th October 1942: Lone Bf110 raider sneaks up Estuary and shoots up the High Street with machine gun fire & dropping bombs killing well know Southend residents Architect D. H. Burns, Accountant Charles Prideaux and Cash Clothing Store manager William Chandier. 3rd March 1943: St Augustine's Church Hall wrecked; Prosperous bombs, HE Incendiaries dropped over Leigh Westcliff Southend Thorpe bay Southchurch & Shoebury. Wednesday 3rd - Thursday 4th March 1943: Raid on Southend assorted bomb loads. March 1943: RAF Rochford dive bombed. Tuesday 9th February 1943: Lone Doriner D0217 sneaks in under patrolling aircraft during very poor weather and shoots up the airfield before escaping. Wednesday 3rd March - Thursday 4th March 1943: Southend attacked by Ju88.s and Do217 bombers, AA site at Shoeburyness shot down a Ju88. Friday 13th August 1943: Air raid on Southend. October 1943: 1 Killed in artillery accident after shell fails to explode at altitude during rail falling and exploding on Hall Cottage. November 1943: 3 Killed in Artillery accident after shell falls short and hits house during air raid. Friday 10th December 1943: Southend bombed St Vincent's Road, St Bernard's High school and high street. Sunday 12th December 1943: 1000kg bombs raid Southend bombed St Bernard's High School, Avenue Road Baptist Church, both badly damaged houses also hit but were empty, three killed, forty six injured. Friday 4th February 1944: London Road Fleetwood Avenue area of Westcliff bombed 8/70 raiders shot down. Saturday 29th June 1944: Southend bombed by 4000 incendiaries and sticks of heavy phosphorus, five Germans were shot down. One night, March 1944: 3000 Incendiary dropped, & two containers of 1000+ found in Southend Shoebury area. One night, March 1944: War department offices in Shoebury bombed 7 buildings damaged by fire 1300 incendiaries collected. August 1944: V1 kills 8 in Southend. Thursday 17th October 1944: Southend hit by Doodlebugs. October 1944: V2 rocket falls 60 yards west of the pier. December 1944: V1 Hits Eastwood 200 homes damaged. Date Unknown: V2 rocket scores direct hit on the pier pavilion passing through the roof then the floor before embedding its self in the mud below with out exploding.

Southend-on-Sea