1941 Old Palace School bombing

The Old Palace School Bombing on 20 April 1941 caused the largest single loss of life of firefighters in the history of the United Kingdom.

The Old Palace School in Poplar, London was being used as an Auxiliary Fire Service sub-station during The Blitz of World War II. 34 firefighters, 21 of whom had been sent from Beckenham in southeast London to assist their colleagues in east London, were present in the station when it was hit by a parachute mine. All 34 men and women were killed and the school was destroyed.^[1]^[2]^[3]

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School was built on the site of the Old Palace School. The bombing is commemorated by a plaque on the school grounds inscribed with the following words.

In memory of the 13 London firemen and women and 21 Beckenham firemen killed on the night of 19th April 1941 when a bomb destroyed the old school being used as a sub-fire station. This is the largest single loss of Fire Brigade personnel in English history. Details of this tragic incident were recorded in the wartime diaries of Mr W. Somerville, an off duty member of the Homerton crew. It is to him and the many thousands of men and women that made up the A.F.S. and N.F.S. 1939-1945 that this plaque is also dedicated.

List of firefighters killed in the Old Palace School Bombing on 20 April 1941^[4]
Rank	Name	Station	Age	Home address
Fireman	Percy Charles Aitchison	AFS Beckenham	27	Copse Avenue, West Wickham, Kent
Fireman	Ronald Mark Bailey	AFS Beckenham	25	Links Road, Tooting, Surrey
Fireman	Alan Charles Barber	AFS Beckenham	26	Fairford Close, Shirley, Croydon, Surrey
Fireman	Earnest Reginald Beadle	AFS Beckenham	32	Birkbeck Road, Beckenham, Kent
Fireman	Kenneth John Bowles	AFS Beckenham	30	Beckenham Road, West Wickham, Kent
Fireman	John Coleman Barrell	AFS London	35	North Street, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex
Fireman	Patrick Joseph Campbell	AFS London	31	Bannister House, Homerton, London
Fireman	Harry John Carden	AFS Beckenham	29	Mounthurst Road, Hayes, Bromley, Kent
Fireman	Robert John Deans	AFS Beckenham	28	The Grove, West Wickham, Kent
Firewoman (Telephonist)	Hilda Dupree	AFS London	21	Warwick Road, Walthamstow, Essex
Fireman	Frank James Endean	AFS Beckenham	36	Aviemore Way, Beckenham, Kent
Fireman	Cecil Farley	AFS Beckenham	43	Linden Leas, West Wickham, Kent
Fireman	George John Joseph Hall	AFS Beckenham	30	Warwick Road, Anerley, Kent
Messenger	Bertie James Frederick Harris	AFS London	17	Brabazon Street, Poplar, London
Fireman	Leslie Thomas Healey	AFS Beckenham	32	Greenview Avenue, Shirley, Surrey
Despatch Rider	Ernest Herbert Henly	AFS London	19	Grange Cottage, Silver Street, Kington Langley, Chippenham, Wiltshire
Fireman	Sydney Bartholomew Jones	AFS London	31	Harrogate Road, Hackney, London
Fireman	Albert Victor Kite	AFS Beckenham	36	Village Way, Beckenham, Kent
Fireman	John Francis Mead	AFS London	29	Christie Road, Hackney, London
Fireman	Vernon Joseph Middleditch	AFS London	31	Hunters Lane, Darlington, County Durham
Fireman	Alfred Edward Minter	AFS Beckenham	46	Aylesford Avenue, Beckenham, Kent
Fireman	Norman Richard Charles Mountjoy	AFS Beckenham	30	Ash Grove, West Wickham, Kent
Fireman	Frederick George Parcell	AFS Beckenham	32	Love Lane, South Norwood, Surrey
Fireman	Martin Charles Parfett	AFS Beckenham	31	Pickhurst Rise, West Wickham, Kent
Firewoman	Winifred Alexandra Peters	London Fire Brigade	39	Canton Street, Poplar, London
Fireman	William Charles Plant	AFS Beckenham	26	Sultan Street, Beckenham, Kent
Fireman	Cyril Bertram Porter	AFS London	31	Clinton Road, Forest Gate, Essex
Fireman	William Thomas Rashbrook	AFS London	36	Chatsworth Road, Clapton, London
Leading Fireman	Leonard Roots	AFS Beckenham	31	Avenue Court, Avenue Road, Anerley, Kent
Fireman	Albert Alfred Saville	AFS London	35	Harrowgate Road, Hackney, London
Station Officer	Richard William Sinstadt	London Fire Brigade	46	Beccles Drive, Barking, Essex
Fireman	Edgar William Vick	AFS London	38	Eden Way, Beckenham, Kent
Leading Fireman	Walter John Woodland	AFS Beckenham	41	Links Way, Eden Park, Beckenham, Kent.
Leading Fireman	Herbert Charles Wotton	AFS Beckenham	30	Upper Elmers End Road, Beckenham, Kent

References

^ "Old Palace School, Auxiliary fire service sub station, London, 19th April 1941". Fire Brigades Union. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
^ "Air Raiders' Severe Attack". East London Advertiser. 26 April 1941. p. 1. Firemen killed when sub-station was hit
^ "Ten Die In Bombed A.F.S. Post". The Daily Mirror. 21 April 1941. A school used as an A.F.S. station was split in half by a heavy bomb. Already six firemen, two telephonists and two young messenger boys have been extricated - dead.
^ "In Loving Memory - Old Palace School Bombing". Old Palace School Bombing. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2022.

[1] "Old Palace School, Auxiliary fire service sub station, London, 19th April 1941". Fire Brigades Union. Retrieved 10 June 2022.

[2] "Air Raiders' Severe Attack". East London Advertiser. 26 April 1941. p. 1. Firemen killed when sub-station was hit

[3] "Ten Die In Bombed A.F.S. Post". The Daily Mirror. 21 April 1941. A school used as an A.F.S. station was split in half by a heavy bomb. Already six firemen, two telephonists and two young messenger boys have been extricated - dead.

[4] "In Loving Memory - Old Palace School Bombing". Old Palace School Bombing. 28 July 2021. Retrieved 10 June 2022.

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See also

References