WWII bombing of Westcliff and Southend-on-Sea

[WildKiwi]

Hi

A comment by a family member re residential bombing in these areas during the war prompted me to find out more.  Is there a ref to the exact areas, street names, whether there were deaths/injuries and the effect on those involved.
All part of my family research.

Regards
Wild Kiwi

[kerry1212]

hi wildkiwi, there are a few stories here

http://www.bbc.co.uk/ww2peopleswar/stories/49/a4051649.shtml

kerry

[kerry1212]

here also

http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=90187

kerry

[WildKiwi]

Kerry
thanks for the info and I've had a quick look through.  However, what I want is news reports or information from locals on bombs dropped on the Westcliff and Southend areas from 1939-1945.  It affected members of my family but they are no longer around so?...

Wild Kiwi

[Flakdodger]

Hi WildKiwi,
because of strict wartime censorship, there is no such thing as news reports of bombing.
You have personal memory, recalled in recent years, as suggested by kerry1212.
Maybe local authority papers/documents survive. Have a word with Southend Local Studies Library.
Go to http://www.southend.gov.uk/content.asp?section=318&content=1604 and click on Contact.
Cheers
Dave

[findem]

Hi,

There might possibly be a report in a local paper, you might strike lucky!

My grandparents were bombed out of their house in Townsend Street, Chelmsford by a parachute bomb and their next door neighbours were both killed, it was reported in the Essex Chronicle.

Regards

[WildKiwi]

Findem and Flakdodger
thank you for links and suggestions.  Just a point of interest for family research.

Regards
Wild Kiwi

[jayaydee]

I live in Bexhill-on-Sea in East Sussex and our museum produced a booklet which shows exactly where each bomb and doodle-bug fell in the town, when and if there were any casualties/fatalities. It's available in our local library so it might be worth enquiring as to whether something similar was produced for Southend.

[marcie dean]

My mum had moved down from Scotland with her parents when she was 5.
They were walking through Bournemouth Gardens when a German Aeroplane came down st-rathing everything in sight.  My nan picked her kids up and threw them into the bushes.  A little boy did not manage to make it into the woods with the others and I think mum said she saw him get shot in the leg.
My nan was on the buses and they often had to get off and run for the nearest airaid shelter.
She also did munitions somewhere near WH Smiths in Bournemouth.

marcie