Plumstead Hight Street School in WW2

[Dimps]

Does anybody know anything about the bombing of Plumstead High Street School (now Bannockburn Primary School) during WW2.  Was it still used as a school during the War?  Any information, pictures, etc. would be most welcome for the school's history topic.

Thank you.

[Valda]

Hi

I would contact the Greenwich Heritage Centre

http://www.greenwich.gov.uk/Greenwich/LeisureCulture/HistoryAndHeritage/HeritageCentre/

As they are likely to hold bomb maps, newspaper articles etc.


Regards

Valda

[Sylviaann]

There is a book "Red Alert, South east london 1939-1945" by Lewis Blake.  I should be available from a library.  It mentions the school which was damaged by fire 16 April 1941 when the area was heavily bombed.  Crystal Palace was badly damaged.  No pictures of the school. 

Most schools were still used.  Children were evacuated but a lot returned to London so the school would still be needed.

Sylviaann

Just read this http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/18/a2043118.shtml  The school was set up as a rest centre

[Dimps]

Thanks for that information, Sylviaann.  I'll contact the library.

The BBC site is very useful - and I have noticed there is another site called Plumstead Stories which has anecdotes about the War.

Dimps

[howard higgs]

Does anybody know anything about the bombing of Plumstead High Street School (now Bannockburn Primary School) during WW2.  Was it still used as a school during the War?  Any information, pictures, etc. would be most welcome for the school's history topic.

Thank you.

Not able to tell you about the bombing but we lived in Ceres Road at the end towards St Nicks and Bradshaw's Coaches were at the end of our garden.
First school was Church Manorway and we used to walk the path through the Church grounds passed the derelict bit which had been hit by a bomb to get to school. When old enough moved to Bannockburn as it called by then and stayed until leaving at end of year term in 1956 to go to senior school.
The school I think had originally 4 floors all the top two section of the school was derelict and closed off, but one day we found a way up to the top. The top hall has no floor in the centre as the bomb had taken that and the roof out and all the rubble and debris were lying on the floor below.
It was some years after we left before it was rebuilt in it's present form, that is with out the top floors and I can always remember how odd the contrasting bricks, or new against old, looked.

Sorry cannot add any more-but can remember that there was a used furniture or junk shop directly opposite the entrance on the main high street road, though the name escapes me now. (Senior citizen issues!!)

[Dimps]

Thanks Howard.  I work at Bannockburn and, funnily enough, we expanded and took over the Church Manor Way building as well (where i'm now based).  My dad frightened someone whilst playing hide-and-seek in the church yard.  He was hiding in one of the large box tombs that had had its lid blown off and suddenly sat up! 

Since I posted my query, I have found a little more.  The school had been evacuated en masse and was being used as a rest centre for people who had been bombed out (on both sides of the River) or lived near an unexploded bomb.  Auxiliary firemen were also based there.  It was hit on a drizzly night, 19th April 1941.  A fireman and a civilian were killed in the blaze.

Deborah

[howard higgs]

Thanks Howard.  I work at Bannockburn and, funnily enough, we expanded and took over the Church Manor Way building as well (where i'm now based).  My dad frightened someone whilst playing hide-and-seek in the church yard.  He was hiding in one of the large box tombs that had had its lid blown off and suddenly sat up! 

Since I posted my query, I have found a little more.  The school had been evacuated en masse and was being used as a rest centre for people who had been bombed out (on both sides of the River) or lived near an unexploded bomb.  Auxiliary firemen were also based there.  It was hit on a drizzly night, 19th April 1941.  A fireman and a civilian were killed in the blaze.

Deborah

Well, I found this site by accident and have not thought of Plumstead for many a year until this website came up and got me thinking again.
Interesting to hear that you work at or between both the old schools that my sister and I went you. Have had a quick hunt on line and found some interesting images and will try to attach them if this site will let you. The first is of Bannockburn as it was when I was there and is near enough as I remember it, all blasted and ugh, but it did us as we were not so fussy in those days. The second is the image of the furniture shop just across the main road from the school, and this is exactly as I remember it!
A story about this furniture shop - we got up on to what was left of the roof several times after school and started to have a stone throwing contest across the road to the shop flat roof. Unfortunately some of the stones, bits of rubble actually, fell short and landed in the shop front, so the owner called the police who mounted a raid with the school caretaker and we got our collars felt! Still as we only 8 or 9 we got away with it but the roof access was severely barred after this.
My father and his family (very large) all lived in Riverdale Road on the way to Plumstead common, where we Bannockburn  boys football team played on a Saturday morning, and my last cousin moved away from there around 2000 just before my father died. Both he and Muv were living in Broadstairs by then and we now live near Blackpool, so we came down for a week to drive him around all of the old places he and us used to know and to see my cousin before he moved to Bury St Edmunds. So that was the last time I was in or around Plumstead!

Have fun with your research, I know how addictive it can be as I have started the family history and it is difficult to put it down.

PS. The image files are too large and they keep getting rejected. Try a search and if you cannot find them send me a message and I will send them through by ordinary e-mail

[Dimps]

Thanks for the offer of the photos.  I have one of the blasted school (1955) and some from the sixties after the top was taken off.  I have been up on the roof, although I didn't throw stones.  The shelters under the arches at the back were converted to classrooms a good many years ago.  I'd love a picture of the furniture shop opposite.  I'll message you.

Deborah

[amyjimdo]

I also went to Bannockburn Primary School. Nursery school 1945 till leaving for secondary school.  In our last year there we had a secret club which met in the bombed out part of the school at lunch time. I also remember the bomb shelter in the playground and playing kiss-chase in the arches.