Bomb damage in Richmond Avenue, Merton
| Date Photo Taken | 20th September 1940 |
|---|---|
| Area | Merton Park |
| Picture Reference | MerMor_World_War_2-6A |
| Original Format | Photo |
| Notes / History | In September 1940 houses in Richmond Avenue were flattened by a Junkers 88 which crashed having been hit by ack ack fire. The whole crew were killed with the exception of one man, who bailed out and landed on the roof of a house in Clapham. He surrendered to the householders who had been sheltering in the cellar. Immediately after the Junkers 88 crashed a parachute and parts of the machine were collected and put on show at a shop near Wimbledon Town Hall. Scores of people paid the 6d entrance fee which was donated to the Spitfire Fund. Civil defence workers had to be very careful when dealing with this type of incident, partly because of the precarious nature of the ruins, and also because of the risk of gas leaks, buried munitions and fires. |
