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Friends of Havelock Rec

Author: Kerry Hood

Neighbouring Local History – Heinkel bomber shot down in Johnson Rd

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

On November 9th, 1940, a German Heinkel bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, and when crashed it on Johnson Road, demolishing numbers 26 and 28 houses. 

collapsed house with airplane propeller sticking out

November 10th 1940 Heinkel bomber shot

In one house, belonging to Mr and Mrs Monday, the husband survived but his wife was found to be dead when they reached her.  In the other house, occupied by Mr and Mrs Button, they had a remarkable escape from injury. 

On the Chatterton Road history page, Bromley historian Lewis Blake records:

“The awful truth dawned on everyone at the scene that the whole street faced disaster. As minds worked on how best to tackle the situation, Sergeant David Grigg, a traffic patrol man of P Division, Metropolitan Police, arrived on the scene and volunteered to remove the missiles one by one to open ground across the A21 Hastings Road. One of the bombs was thought to be ticking ominously, but Sgt Grigg nonetheless gingerly carried them to a safe distance from the street’s terraced dwellings.”

RAF sergeant Grigg was awarded the George Medal for his brave act in March 1941, cited that he “showed great courage and devotion to duty.” Captain Charles Lea of the 2nd Engineers disposed of the bombs, for which he was awarded the George Medal (but was later killed in Salerno) “by skilful and courageous work, he completed the disposal of all the bombs, so making it possible for the rescue of the trapped persons to proceed”.  A third George Medal was awarded to the New Zealander head of Bromley casualty services,  Dr Kenneth Tapper, who treated the casualties in the debris pile, between the un-exploded bombs, “Dr Tapper has shown great gallantry in his efforts to relieve suffering amongst air raid victims.“.

Of the aircraft crew, two perished inside the aircraft whilst the pilot’s parachute never opened and he was found dead on a local roof, and the navigator parachuted to safety near Sundridge Mansion Hotel where he was apprehended and taken to the police station.  Part of the machine was found in Bromley Common Cricket ground.

RAF sergeant carrying large bomb

Thanks to Brinley Hawkins for discovering and sharing this images

Another neighbour, a stretcher man, Mr Darby, described what he saw to a reporter: “My brother was standing at the back door when he heard the aeroplane coming down, and thought it was a bomb.  It sounded like a tornado; he shut the door and threw himself down.”

He and other neighbours removed what bombs they could from the wreckage though there was petrol over all the debris.  The ‘Rescue Squad’ discovered Mr Monday lying on a bomb and the Bomb disposal squad then removed the rest of the bombs after the local area was evacuated – in total there were 30 bombs, 50kg.  Several thousand rounds of ammunition was removed from the plane. 

The reporter continues: “Mrs Button was at the kitchen door and her husband pulled her to safety as their house collapsed.  They both crawled out unhurt.  Both are over 70.  Mr Button, and old soldier, went back and turned off the gas at the mains”

A fuller description can be found on this Chatterton Road history page. 

men looking at bombs laid at the side of the road

Thanks to Brinley Hawkins for discovering and sharing this image

Posted in Neighbouring Local/Oral History | Tagged Heinkel Bomber Johnson Road WW2

WW2 – bombs in Havelock Road

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

In September 1940 and aerial mine dropped on number 29, when a man and his 14-year-old daughter were killed.  This created a large crater, as well as demolishing the chicken sheds at the back of No. 21. 

More homes were destroyed in early October, when five people were killed at number 60.

Posted in Uncategorised

Neighbouring Local History – Keeping Riff-Raff out… Bromley’s own Class Wall

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

In 1926, there was a ‘wall’ built on Valeswood Road/Alexandra Crescent (a private road) , to keep the inhabitants of The London Corporation’s estate in Downham out of Bromley (or to deter them from taking a short cut – thanks to Downham Estate Having Your Own Patch for the pic).  The estate was built to house people moved out of the London slums when the post-war clearances took place.  The houses are designed to be reminiscent of Kentish cottages. 

History Today mentions it on their website, demonstrating that the concept of gated communities is not a modern one: by Michael Nelson, here.  He grew up on the ‘wrong’ side of the wall in Downham.  "stood near the house where I lived as a child... the residents of Alexandra Crescent, a private road in Bromley, Kent, ... built a seven-foot wall, capped with broken glass, across the road. The wall was constructed to stop the working classes ... like our family, entering the streets of the adjoining middle-class estate."

Bromley was part of the county of Kent until the boundary changes of 1965, so the houses in areas of Bromley, still list ‘Kent’ in their addresses. When the boundaries changed, the Orpington residents were given a vote as to whether they wanted to join the new borough or not.

Posted in Neighbouring Local/Oral History | Tagged Bromley Wall

Neighbouring Local History – Jubilee Country Park’s Not-so-quiet WW2 role

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

Jubilee park nowadays is a peaceful place where you can walk through natural oak woodlands and through wide grassy areas.

If you walk up towards Petts Wood, you can spot second world war concrete trackways disappearing into the undergrowth in the woods, and the imprint of circular concrete platforms in the grass. 

This was the site Thornet Wood Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site, one of a defensive ring of gun sites encircling London during the Second World War: there were about 8 gun emplacements, and a small town of Nissan huts were the crews and support workers lived. 

WW2 soldiers and sandbag wall

Artillery men standing around sandbagged emplacement

 

More can be found out about Jubilee Country park, and the events there, at the the friends website for Jubilee Park. 

WW2 artillery men around large gun

One of the gun emplacements in 1941, thanks to Friends of Jubilee Country Park.

map

Map of Jubilee Country Park

 

Posted in Neighbouring Local/Oral History | Tagged Jubilee Park WW2

A Selection of other Local History in the Neighbourhood

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

 

The Crooked Billet V2 and Bomb-Alley

Another notable event in WW2 was the destruction of the Crooked Billet pub on Southborough Lane, half a mile to the north east, by a V2 rocket on 19th November 1944.  Locals say that they were initially told it was a gas explosion, so they wouldn’t panic at the inexplicable damage from the unknown new weapon.   It was the largest single incident for casualties in the old Borough of Bromley during the Second World War: 27 people were killed and dozens more were injured, many very seriously. The Crooked Billet was rebuilt in 1957 and is now a Harvester restaurant.

The British counter-intelligence had fed the Germans the mis-information that their V1 bombs were landing ten miles too far north, and the consequent adjustments meant that those that were not shot down in “bomb-alley” landed in this part of Kent. Just half a mile north, this side of the Crooked Billet, in what is now Jubilee Country Park, was the Thornet Wood Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site, one of a defensive ring of gun sites encircling London during the Second World War. **

 

At this time, there was a ‘wall’ built on Valeswood Road, to keep the inhabitants of The London Corporation’s estate in Downham out of Bromley (or to deter them from taking a short cut – thanks to Downham Estate Having Your Own Patch for the pic). Bromley was part of Kent until the boundary changes of 1965, so the houses in the area still have ‘kent’ in their addresses. At this time Orpington residents were given a vote as to whether they wanted to join the new borough or not.

 

The Crooked Billet V2, Bomb-Alley and Bromley Wall

Another notable event in WW2 was the destruction of the Crooked Billet pub on Southborough Lane, half a mile to the north east, by a V2 rocket on 19th November 1944.  Locals say that they were initially told it was a gas explosion, so they wouldn’t panic at the inexplicable damage from the unknown new weapon.   It was the largest single incident for casualties in the old Borough of Bromley during the Second World War: 27 people were killed and dozens more were injured, many very seriously. The Crooked Billet was rebuilt in 1957 and is now a Harvester restaurant.

The British counter-intelligence had fed the Germans the mis-information that their V1 bombs were landing ten miles too far north, and the consequent adjustments meant that those that were not shot down in “bomb-alley” landed in this part of Kent. Just half a mile north, this side of the Crooked Billet, in what is now Jubilee Country Park, was the Thornet Wood Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site, one of a defensive ring of gun sites encircling London during the Second World War. **

Though the Gas Board owned the pit (to put the leftover cinders from making town gas in), much of the rubble from all the building damaged in the bombing was placed in the pit, along with household rubbish.

At this time, there was a ‘wall’ built on Valeswood Road, to keep the inhabitants of The London Corporation’s estate in Downham out of Bromley (or to deter them from taking a short cut – thanks to Downham Estate Having Your Own Patch for the pic). Bromley was part of Kent until the boundary changes of 1965, so the houses in the area still have ‘kent’ in their addresses. At this time Orpington residents were given a vote as to whether they wanted to join the new borough or not.

 

 

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collapsed house with airplane propeller sticking out

Neighbouring Local History – Heinkel bomber shot down in Johnson Rd

On November 9th, 1940, a German Heinkel bomber was shot down by anti-aircraft fire, and when crashed it on Johnson Road, demolishing two houses. A neighbour described it as "It sounded like a tornado; he shut the door and threw himself down." and the local paper reported "Mrs Button was at the kitchen door and her husband pulled her to safety as their house collapsed.  They both crawled out unhurt.  Both are over 70.  Mr Button, and old soldier, went back and turned off the gas at the mains".
see more...

WW2 artillery men around large gun

Neighbouring Local History – Jubilee Country Park’s Not-so-quiet WW2 role

Just half a mile north, this side of the Crooked Billet, in what is now Jubilee Country Park, was the Thornet Wood Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site, one of a defensive ring of gun sites encircling London during the Second World War.
see more...

Neighbouring Local History – Keeping Riff-Raff out… Bromley’s own Class Wall

Bromley's own Class Wall - built iIn 1926, across Valeswood Road/Alexandra Crescent (a private road) , to keep the inhabitants of The London Corporation’s estate in Downham out of Bromley.
see more...

A pile of rafters on top of a pile of debris

Neighbouring Local History – The Crooked Billet V2 and Bomb-Alley

Another notable event in WW2 was the destruction of the Crooked Billet pub on Southborough Lane, half a mile to the north east, by a V2 rocket on 19th November 1944.  Locals say that they were initially told it was a gas explosion, so they wouldn’t panic at the inexplicable damage from the unknown new weapon. The British counter-intelligence had fed the Germans the mis-information that their V1 bombs were landing ten miles too far north, and the consequent adjustments meant that those that were not shot down in “bomb-alley” landed in this part of Kent
see more...

Posted in Local History | Tagged neighbouring-local-history

Neighbouring Local History – The Crooked Billet V2 and Bomb-Alley

Posted on September 4, 2020 by Kerry Hood

A notable event, for the neighbourhood, in WW2 was the destruction of the Crooked Billet pub on Southborough Lane, half a mile to the north east, by a V2 rocket on 19th November 1944.  

A pile of rafters on top of a pile of debris

A pile of rafter and debris is all that remained of the Crooked Billet public house

Locals say that they were initially told it was a gas explosion, so they wouldn’t panic at the inexplicable damage from the unknown new weapon.   It was the largest single incident for casualties in the old Borough of Bromley during the Second World War: 27 people were killed and dozens more were injured, many very seriously. The Crooked Billet was rebuilt in 1957 and is now a Harvester restaurant.

 

The British counter-intelligence had fed the Germans the mis-information that their V1 bombs were landing ten miles too far north, and the consequent adjustments meant that those that were not shot down in “bomb-alley” landed in this part of Kent.

 

Just half a mile north, this side of the Crooked Billet, in what is now Jubilee Country Park, was the Thornet Wood Heavy Anti-Aircraft Gun Site, one of a defensive ring of gun sites encircling London during the Second World War. **

book jacket with picture of blue plaque

Book jacket for “Not forgotten the Crooked Billet” with blue plaque

Posted in Neighbouring Local/Oral History | Tagged Crooked Billet Jubilee Park V2 rocket WW2

Help us hunt for bugs!

Posted on August 18, 2020 by Kerry Hood

Have a look for bugs in our park!

Capture a pic on a smartphone and we can identify it and add it to the count!

We can’t hold our annual bug count this year, so we need you to send us pictures of all the bugs – butterflies, bees and all the other insects – that you can find on the park!

Essex skipper butterfly

An Essex Skipper – found on this park for the first time this summer -can you see another?

Gatekeeper Butterfly

A Gatekeeper Butterfly – there’s at least 6 of these in the meadow area, can you count more?

Small White Butterfly

Small White Butterfly – you can tell it from the Large White, not by size (!), but because it only has grey wingtips, not black.

This pretty hover-fly is called a Dead Head hover-fly because there’s a black skull on it

little black and yellow hoverfly

Field hover-fly

white tailed bumble bee

White tailed bumble bee (worker) on a white bindweed flower

red tailed bumble bee

Red-tailed bumble bee (worker) on a Knapp Weed flower

honey bee

Honey Bee on a Russian vine flower

Patchwork leafcutter bee – look for scallop-edged holes in leaves and flowers that this bee makes

tilted bee with pollen on tummy

A wool carder bee, she stores pollen on her tummy

little ginger brown bumble bee

A common carder bumblebee, they make cups for their larvae and stores out of hairs they shave from plant stalks

Posted in scenic-n-wildlife | Tagged Bug Hunt wildlife

Some of the lovely wild flowers on our park

Posted on June 26, 2020 by Kerry Hood

Here’s some pictures of the wild flowers on our park.  Although it can look like a large expanse of boring grass, if you look closer (and around the edges), there’s lots more to see!

Field poppies, a dandelion clock, plantain flowers and cow parsley

Read more
Posted in Uncategorised

Proudly presenting, at the park near you… Raglan Avenue

Posted on March 14, 2020 by Kerry Hood
groups of people planting trees

People digging holes and planting trees in Raglan Avenue

 

 

We are very grateful to Raglan School Eco-council for funding and planting a new row of trees, along side the all-weather path, to form an avenue… christened Raglan Avenue!

 

man whacking post

Phil applying a sledge hammer to stake a new tree

 

About 20 parents and friends turned out to plant and stake the new trees, with lots of help from the children of Raglan school.  The new trees look fantastic!

The kinds of trees that we planted were:

  • goat willow (salix caprea)
  • silver birch (betula pendula)
  • flag pole flowering cherry (prunus serrulata amanogawa)
  • common/european beech (Fagus sylvatica)
  • golden leaved elm (Ulmus carpinifolia aurea)
  • variety of plum (prunus sp.)
  • liquid amber or american sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)
  • flowering cherry (Prunus subhirtella autumnalis rosea)

Posted in Events front-page | Tagged Raglan Eco Council Tree Planting

Your Invitation to our VE Day Big Lunch

Posted on February 22, 2020 by Kerry Hood

We’re looking forward to seeing you this year!

poster for big lunch

Havelock Big Lunch celebrates VE Day 75

We hope to see you there for our 2020 Big Lunch on Saturday 2nd May. We’ll be celebrating VE Day 75 with old school games, tea, cakes, BBQ, drinks, raffle, tombola and more.

Costumes are very much encouraged to help the celebrations!

Please let us know if you plan on coming on our Facebook event – CLICK HERE – and help us spread the word by sharing the event on with the options below, on social media, WhatsApp groups and amongst all your friends. If you’d like a poster to display, then please reply to this email.

More events coming this year so be sure to like our Facebook page to stay in the loop.

Friends of Havelock Rec Committee xx

Posted in Events

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Local History, Photos & Reminisces

Browse our collection of remarkable local reminisces in our oral history pages look at the park's previous incarnation as a working brickpit or a summary of it all here.

See also:

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Check out the Gallery

Early morning landscape by Jon Emmanuel
Landscape by Jon Emmanuel
IYellow Lab Daphne playing with her friend Molly
It's snowing!
evening light over our park
snow angel!
10422371_10152598816492595_4131414265842496626_n
2002jul02 tansy with little cricket bat
2008 double rainbow brickfield
HotBalloon060630-3
033 field water fight
IMG_1001-3
dragging the sledge back up the dip
snowmen and snow forts in 2009
The firemen parachuted in to raise money in 2005
fun-in-the-snow
fun-in-the-snow2
fun-in-the-snow3
fun-in-the-snow4
fun-in-the-snow snowman making
sledging-the-dip
dog in the snow
15jul01_sunset_over_brickfield_havelock_rec.jpg
14jun08 50490 view pink clouds brickfield.JPG
15feb28 dog walkers in field.jpg
andy_loakes_snow_on_the_brickfield.jpg
14jun08 50495 view sunset brickfield.JPG
P1090838.JPG
15jun29_4567-brickfield-field-bindweed-768x1024.jpg
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15mar14-brickfield-bulbplanting.jpg
15mar14-di-and-felix-litterpicking-brickfield.jpg
16jan18_volunteers-planting-hedge-brickfield.jpg
16jul18 bug-day-tent-view.jpg
16jun12 big-lunch-tug-war.jpg
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1924 o-peills-brick-pit-half-mile-SW-Bickley-Stn-looking-S-16386_synch-l.jpg
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Recent Posts

  • Neighbouring Local History – Heinkel bomber shot down in Johnson Rd
  • WW2 – bombs in Havelock Road
  • Neighbouring Local History – Keeping Riff-Raff out… Bromley’s own Class Wall
  • Neighbouring Local History – Jubilee Country Park’s Not-so-quiet WW2 role
  • A Selection of other Local History in the Neighbourhood

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