Bomb damage to houses in Marina Avenue, West Barnes
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| Area | West Barnes |
|---|---|
| Copyright 1 | Wimbledon Borough News. |
| Picture Reference | MerMor_World_War_2-4 |
| Original Format | Photo |
| Notes / History | The bomb that fell on Marina Avenue in the far SW edge of the Borough was a High Explosive bomb. It was probably the one shown on the map of The Bomb Sight Project (www.bombsight.org) which records all the bombs that were dropped on London during the Blitz in 1940/41. Previously available only by viewing in the Reading Room at The National Archives, Bomb Sight is making the maps available online to the general public. The reasons why Marina Avenue was targeted are unclear. It is situated near a railway line, several gasometers and the site of an anti-aircraft battery. An alternative reason could be its relative proximity to Croydon Airfield. The airfield played an important part in Britain’s wartime defence and came under regular attack by the German bombers. They were often forced to fly at great heights in order to dodge anti-aircraft fire. This made it difficult for them to identify their targets accurately and many bombs fell wide of the mark. Others were simply ditched in order to lighten the load of the aircraft before it returned to base. |
