1940 Air Raids Kimberley and Watnall.
As a follow up to last year's topic about the history of RAF Watnall in WW2, I have been researching more into the bombing raids known to have hit Watnall and Kimbeley in 1940. I have several books covering the activities of the Luftwaffe over England during WW2 which I accessed last year, but have recently found a book concentrating more on the effect and locations of such raids.
In last year's topic, Sarah Peason asked, " You mention attacks by the Luftwaffe on 30.10.40...I have recently moved into the area and been told that a house next to mine on Norman St was hit by a bomb, hence the fact in a street of Edwardian houses there is a relative new build. Where could I find information about this?"
There is as a plaque shown in the image above in the shape of a bomb. This can be found on the fence of the nature reserve on Newdigate Street where the Railway bridge used to be, stating, "bombs dropped on Alendene ave 30.10.40." From what my research has shown, this date is wrong. It should read 30.8.40. This wrong date threw me off course while trying to find details of the raids. I have now looked into what appears to be the correct date.
It is important to note that nighttime raids were very inaccurate, - even though the Luftwaffe was using navigation light beams which the crews did not always trust or always follow. The Luftwaffe in 1940 were mainly using two types of bomb over England. The 50 kilo SC and SD bomb which was a high explosive or shrapnel bomb, and the 1 kilo incendiary which was designed to be released in large numbers over a wide area, an early form of carpet bombing. The incendiary bomb had a percussion igntion system that fired the bomb on impact via a firing pin on a spring which shot forward on landing. This ignited the thermite inside which burned / melted the magnesium body to a very high temperature which could set most things alight. Both bombs. The two types of bombs had a failure rate of around 10%, -not going off.
Friday 30th of August was a busy day for the Luftwaffe carrying out four major attacks in the morning and afternoon. This was followed up with more action on the night of Friday 30th of August with several luftwaffe raids on with a large amount of bombing in London, the Midlands, Manchester, Wrexham, Derby, and Nottingham. The exact targets in Nottingham I have not been able to find out, but it is thought that the Royal Ordnance Factory at Chilwell was a prime and regular target for the Luftwaffe. It would be fair to assume that such an important area to the RAF at that time, RAF Hucknall along with RAF Watnall would have also been on the Luftwaffe's target list.
Several places in Nottingham were hit on the night of the 30th August 1940. At around 11.20 p.m. the Luftwaffe was over Kimberley. High explosive bombs fell at Norman Street, Parkham Road, Cliff Boulevard, two on Newdigate , and two on Holly Road. Thankfully, all of these bombs were defective and failed to detonate. That said, there were still 50 kilo steel projectiles landing at great speed and would have caused much damage to any property they hit. shortly after, the bombers were over Watnall. They set fire with over 1000 1 kilo incendiary bombs, Watnall Woods and Spring Woods. A 50 kilo high explosive bomb fell through the roof of 9 Alandene Avenue killing both Mary lord, 20 years old from 13 Albert Avenue Nuthall, and John Moult, 30 years old from 18 Holly Road Watnall. Several buildings on Common Lane Watnall were also bomb damaged. As far as I can find out, these two unfortunates were the only two to lose their lives in Watnall and the immediate surrounding area during WW2.
I would be very interested to know if anyone walking Watnall woods has ever found any relics or evidence of such a large amount of incendiary bombs being dropped. In the images above, a few relics I have from other raids. The large tail is from a German 50 kilo bomb. The small tail from a 1 kilo incendiary bomb. The two semi melted round items, the bases left behind from the main section of incendiary bombs, the rest of the body melted / burned away by the thermite. There is every chance such pieces could still be out there in Watnall woods.
Comments from Facebook --
"Very interesting , I remember my mum telling me , my grandfather , was there the night the raid happened & he pulled two people out of property , as he was an ARP warden . She said for his bravery on duty that evening , his name was put up on the building of the Church I believe , close to we’re they built Sainsburys.. do you have anymore information.. please ? Who was on duty that evening .."
"Thankyou very interesting read, my dad who used to live on Newdigate Road, use to tell a story when the air raid siren went off, he used to go down to the bottom of the garden to the air raid shelter with his dad and younger brother, grandma used to stay in the house and go under the stairs with the cat, said she stood a better chance in the house as bombs were being dropped along the cutting,army camp, which wasn't far from the bottom of the garden, luckily dad said none went off."
"I was told by a lady who lived next door to the house that was bombed on Alandene Ave, the couple died and others in the street were evacuated. Not sure if I am right but thought she said the couple were still sat at the table!"
"My Grandad lived on the corner of Beryldene Avenue on Newdigate Road at the time of the bombing, he told me he heard it come over as he was smoking his pipe at his backdoor after a shift at (I think) Stanten steel works, he told me that the German aircraft was "going down" and was dropping un primed bombs as ballast to keep it up."
"We lived on Allendene Avenue at the time the bomb landed. I'd be about 2 years old but from what my mother told me the bomb didn't explode but the whole avenue was evacuated, including my mother and me. My mother had to beg them to let her go back home to collect our dog who was still in the house."
