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Tony Simmonds' Collection

Extract from the diary of Tony Simmonds

From the private collection of Tony Simmonds

Part 05: Brighton bombing, 25th May 1943

By Tony Simmonds

Extract from the diary of Tony Simmonds:

25.5.43 A.M. at about 12.15 Brighton had its worst raid yet, 25 planes came over machine-gunning & bombing. I was having Geography & had to get under the desk - I saw 1 Jerry swoop past our window. I was really scared. One boy went absolutely green. The house opposite was machine gunned. At home Mummy got very scared & went under the shelter - Daddy, walking home, rushed inside a shop after seeing bombs falling out of several planes. Bombs were dropped at: top of Eaton Place, Chichester Place, the other side of the hospital in Eastern Road (about 200 yards from here) which was the worst, Bennet Road (near Whitehawk), St Mark's School (near the gas works), the gas-works - all our gas went, the flats at Black Rock (where we were on Sunday) & where a soldier on the roof was blown out to sea with his gun, the viaduct in London Road (1 span was destroyed) & that's about all - oh - Arundel Road caught it & Hove was machine gunned. Evening. I toured around the damage - it was awful. Mrs Brooks house, where Daddy lodged was damaged as well. 2 sirens inc raid. Cool and Wet.

29.5.43 Coming back from town on a 41 trolley-bus, we saw the funeral of the two children who were killed in Down Terrace behind our school. I didn't mention that place on my list on 25.5.

It was during this raid that the viaduct in London Road was damaged. Tony recalled:
"The rails over the viaduct in London Road I remember so well. After the big raid I remember cycling up there and looking up and seeing these rails overhanging the road where the bomb had actually bounced. It had bounced in Argyle Road, went right over the houses, bounced again and hit the side of the Viaduct. It blew all the bricks away and the rails were just left over there."

Tony Simmonds was interviewed for the My Brighton and Hove website by Zoe Woods.

Added to the site on 26-06-05

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

About that raid in 1943 - the list of bombs by Tony was very good. But there is one bomb that was never really recorded and that was the one in Maresfield Road, Manor Farm. It dropped right behind the house that we lived in. I was at school at the Intermediate and we were having our traumas there as a friend and myself were shopping in Woolworths and had to get back to school for the air raid shelters. There were bombs dropping and machine gunning going on. When I got home Maresfield Road was roped off. I was 12 at the time and when I got to our house I couldn't find Mum and Dad; I started to scream. Mum heard me - they were up in the bedrooms trying to salvage some things. There were a couple of funny things happened - apparently my Dad (who was fortunately home on leave) said 'All we need now is for it to rain', and of course it did. With no roof and dinner on the floor all mixed up with the glass etc my Dad swore at Hitler. They were trying to get things organised when there was a knock on the backdoor (which was only hanging on its hinges); it was the piano tuner who was partly blind and had come to tune the piano. That day was the only day when my placid Mum lost her temper and cursed Hitler.

By Pam Patchen (nee Smith) (09/07/2005)

When the viaduct over Preston Road was repaired, my grandfather (Alfred Brooker), a steam train driver based in Brighton, volunteered to take the first train over to test the repair of the bridge.

By Jenny Wilson (27/05/2009)

Hi, I'd like to make contact with Tony Simmonds if possible about using some of his diary entries for a book. Please email if you have any information as to his whereabouts, or contact details. Many thanks, Paul

By Paul Lyons (03/09/2010)