V1 Rocket at Windsor

It was a Saturday afternoon, cloudy but bright, and I was cycling home from Windsor in the direction of Dedworth, where I lived in St Andrews Avenue.

Near the junction of Green Lane and Clarence Road I heard an unusual aircraft sound, and out of the cloud popped a V1 flying bomb. It was low, and as I watched the motor cut and it nose dived.

There was an explosion and smoke. I hurried on home. I was overtaken by my father cycling furiously past me, who shouted, 'Get on home boy!'

I arrived home to find him gone with his ARP gear to the ARP post. The bomb had hit a tall chimney of a refuse disposal site, I think this was in Kentons Lane. Our bungalow, which was about three-quarters of a mile from the site, had several broken windows and loose tiles, but no extensive damage.

At the time of the explosion my mother was getting out of the bath. The bathroom was at the end of a hallway, in direct line of sight from the front door, where two panes of glass had been blown out. Two shards of glass had travelled down the hall like arrows, and embedded themselves in the bathroom door at about ankle height. As my mother often remarked, 'Lucky that door was shut.'

I cannot recall what year this was, probably 1944. According to my father, that same day a race meeting was in progress at Windsor, and some had said that, had it not been for the chimney, the bomb could have hit the grandstand at the course. Whether this is true I know not, but only one V1 exploded in Windsor that I know of. So, does anyone else recall this incident? Are my memories correct?

I can also remember watching US Flying Fortresses, B17 Bombers, returning from daylight raids. They were quite often flying low, some trailing smoke, red and green coloured flares falling from the aircraft as they headed inland, home to their bases.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.