Tragedy - V1 Rocket Attack on Barking

We lived in Melford Avenue in Barking in London during the war years. We choose the house because of it’s close location to Upney Station, and the local bus stop. Whilst my husband was away in the army we had let our house; and put our furniture into storage at East Ham.
I worked as a cashier in a small café in Thread Needle Street in London. It was popular with stock brokers and Fleet Street journalists. I must have been a popular and friendly face at the café, as I often took more money through my till than was expected!

I lived with my husband who worked for “G.M.P. Murphy” in Wall Street as a stock brokers clerk; he had been discharged from the army owing to poor health.

We knew Vera Lynn and her cousin who lived close by in Upney Lane. Vera was well known as a local entertainer in East Ham and Barking until she became famous.

It was the night of Wednesday, July 26th 1944. Our next door neighbour (a soldier who was home on a weekend pass) asked if we could wake him, as he knew we were early risers.
This was not necessary though as we were woken by the sirens which alerted us to the flight of V1 “Doodlebugs” flying over the area. This was a dreaded sound, instantly recognised by those living in the city.
We listened to hear for the engines to stop which meant approaching danger!

We lived opposite a family who had an 18 yr old daughter who was intending to join the Land Army, in two days time. The husband always went down into their Anderson Shelter during air-raids, but his wife and daughter did not like the creepy crawlies.

The flying bomb exploded and damaged a number of houses in our Avenue, but the explosion killed the Wife and daughter who had refused to use the shelter. The husband had begged them to join him in the shelter that night but they refused.

Our own house was very badly damaged, and we lost everything. The exceptions were a Dining Suite of silver cutlery, which I had saved up for, which we had with us in the Anderson shelter. We also had some important documents including my National Identity card.

The fire wardens helped us to collect what they could, from the bombed houses. My husband’s clothes survived in the wardrobe, but mine were shredded by the blast. We recovered one portrait of our Wedding Day, and a small round oak table. The beautiful table is still one of my favourite possessions. The fire wardens took the possessions which could be saved from the houses to Barking Town Hall where they could be reclaimed.

The next night we slept in Upney tube station, with other local residents. We then went to stay with my Granny and Aunt at Raynham in Essex. After the war we returned to live in Norfolk. I still have a close friend from the area who still visits me each year now some 60 years later.

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