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Memories of WWII

Photo of the bombing of Park Crescent

From the private collection of Peter Groves

The Bombing of Park Crescent

By Peter Groves

There were over 50 air raids on the town of Brighton during World War II. Many are well documented, like the "infamous" raid on the Odeon Kemp Town on Saturday 14th September 1940. Brighton was of little military importance, raids were indiscriminate, however German pilots would drop unused bombs after raids on London or more important targets as they flew back over the coast, homeward! Nearly 200 people were killed in these raids and 200 houses completely demolished. Of course there were hundreds of casualties, and damaged buildings ran into thousands. The biggest raid on Brighton was at lunchtime on 25th May 1943 when up-to 25 German planes flew in at low level. Bombs were dropped over a wide area, and the number of fatalities was 25 with over 50 serious injuries.

The photo of Park Crescent Brighton shows the aftermath of one of the 50 plus raids. The date is unknown, but hopefully someone can enlighten me! At first glance I thought the photo was taken from the north end of the Level, looking north up the Lewes Road. However further investigation, and with the aid of the 1946 map of bombs dropped on Brighton, it can be seen that the Park Crescent bomb dropped on the rear, north side of the Crescent. A section of the 1946 map indicates the actual position. Looking again at the photo, it must have been taken looking southwards towards the Level.

Added to the site on 19-10-05

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments about this page

An interesting article, Peter. If you were looking at the same book as me, 'Brighton & Hove 'Under Fire'', the picture appears between bombings in 1941 & 1943, so I should imagine the date is around 1942. Timothy Carder, in The Encyclopaedia of Brighton, says 1942, but gives no date.

By Geoff (23/10/2005)

I remember sitting aged 3 on the first floor front room in our house in Addison Road on a hot day in 1943 when the road got hit without warning by bombs which demolished a block of ten or so houses in Addison Rd and Colbourne Rd. Quite scary - no time to get to the Anderson shelter downstairs. Was this the same raid you speak of involving 25 planes?

By Pat Benham (23/10/2005)

This bomb was dropped in 1941. I was a paper boy and delivered the morning papers from the stationers opposite the houses that were hit. This photograph was most likely taken a few days later for the debris looks as though it has mostly been cleared up.

By Cyril Pelham (28/11/2005)

My great-grandmother was in the bedroom of her house in Colbourne Road in March 1943 when a bomb crashed through the window and landed in the back garden. This must be the incident that Pat recalls. Four houses in Colbourne Road were demolished and rebuilt in 1947.

By Trevor Harvey (18/12/2005)

The houses in Park Crescent which were bombed were 24-27 Park Crescent - the photo must have been taken outside the Park Crescent pub. These houses were only rebuilt in the 1980s. I remember playing in what was (accurately) called 'the bomb site' as a child.

By Abigail Dombey (11/05/2006)

Can anyone tell me the origin of the name Colbourne Road?

By G Taylor (13/02/2007)

A possible derivation for the name Colbourne Road has been noted elsewhere on this site. Follow the links from the home page: Areas St Ann's Well Introduction to St Ann's Well What's in a name.

By Trevor Harvey (19/03/2007)

If you look carefully at the houses opposite the Park Crescent pub you are able to identify the new houses that replaced those destroyed by bombing.

By Graham Robinson (10/03/2009)

Like Abigail, I use to play in that bomb site when I was about 5 to 8 years old. (1953 - 1958) The old lady next door use to chase us off. I lived in 44 Park Crescent until 1956. I loved it very much, and still miss it very much. Even though Violet Kay was murdered in our house, many years before we lived there. (1934). http://www.mybrightonandhove.org.uk/page_id__6816.aspx

By Dennis Snuggs (02/07/2009)

I have just seen the photos of bombings in Park Crescent. My mother was a fire-watcher on the roof of the Salvation Army Hall, she never mentioned how dangerous it was. Later I guess after the rebuilding I had piano and speech lessons with a Mrs Campbell in the crescent.

By Evelyn Fox (10/02/2010)

I was born in 1940 and we lived in Grosvenor Street, off of Edward Street. When I say 'we' I mean the Jeffery family. Our house was demolished by a German raider in the middle of the war. I'm not sure of my age when this occurred (perhaps 3 or 4) but it was a traumatic experience and left me with mild claustrophobia. I remember playing in our garden riding a pedal-cycle and seeing planes in the sky, then a woman (it was my mother) running out and grabbing me. My next memory is being squashed between the grown-ups facing a wall of rubble, then a face and hands coming through to get us out; we were in our air raid shelter. Finally, my last mental picture is of a crowded room and a man being carried with blood on his face; we had been taken to the Brighton Boys Club. Can anyone put this experience in its local historical context?

By James Jeffery (10/04/2010)

Hi James, not sure that I can fill in all the detail, however I'm pretty sure that the bombing you mention happened when 25 German planes raided Brighton in 1943. I have a photo showing the damage caused in Grosvenor Street and it states 1943. If you let me have your email address I will scan the photo in and send it to you. Also I would be interested in doing some more research, and then perhaps I can fill in all the detail, and add the photo and findings on a new page of this site ie 'The bombing of Grosvenor Street'. Another point, please have a look at the 'Old Maps' section on this site and in particular, the Bombing Map of Brighton. Zoom in by clicking on the map and look at the area between Edward Street and Carlton Hill. You will see that a huge 'run' of bombs were dropped in between the two main streets. Three bombs are shown to have fallen on Grosvenor Street, two on the east side and one on the west side. All the best pedrogroves@googlemail.com

By Peter Groves (06/07/2010)

Very many thanks Peter, fascinating stuff and my email address follows: jpmjeffery@hotmail.com Best wishes, James

By James Jeffery (11/07/2010)

Hi, I need a help. A friend of mine showed me a WWII photo of a crashed RAF plane in a seafront of a city and I was told it was Brighton, UK. Any of you has any idea on this matter and would like to help me identify the plane or the circumstances of the crash (seems to be a Tempest or a Typhoon). I would be more than grateful for that.

By Carlos Ribeiro (17/09/2010)

I've seen a photo of a "fighter" type plane crashed on Hove beach, the photo was part of the WWII exhibition on display in Hove Museum, I think the photo was from some collection, perhaps owned by the city. I had never seen it previously in any of the local Brighton & Hove history books. I don't think the exhibition is still running but you could contact the museum to find out more. Good luck!

By Peter Groves (05/10/2010)

Re Park Crescent. We were born at 48 Park Crescent between 1940 and 1943 although our parents lived there from 1939 to 1947. My Father's surgery was in the basement which also acted as a bomb shelter during the raids. We remember well having to take shelter there and visiting the bomb damaged houses in the crescent. Alex, David and George Pincus.

By David Pincus (28/06/2011)

My great granddad and my granddad lived at 24 Park Crescent in the 1901 census. They were James Fowler (1858) and Walter Fowler. I have a picture of James Fowler surrounded by his family Walter, Nellie, Bertha and Annie, it was taken by the local paper as it was James's 100th birthday. James worked on the railway for 53 years and was a member of the Salvation Army. Would love to know if anybody remembers them and have any tales to tell?

By Linda Fowler (07/05/2012)

Any of you that have memories of this particular bombing (I'm thinking Cyril in particular here), I'd be really pleased to hear from you. I am working on a history of The Level project and am still looking for wartime memories of this vicinity. Please post here if you would be up for participating

By Sam Carroll (29/05/2013)