Author: kevinbacon

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Brighton’s Deadliest Bombing Raid of WW2

If you look at a map of where bombs landed in Brighton during WW2, you can see that a high proportion of them hit the east of the town. 20 of those bombs struck on a single day: 14 September 1940.

The air raid

The raid took place at around 3.30pm that afternoon. A German Dornier bomber was chased by two British Spitfire fighter planes over the town. It is believed that the German pilot dropped his remaining bombs in quick succession in order to lose weight and outrun his pursuers.

The bombs hit the Kemp Town area of Brighton. Two hit the Odeon cinema, which was full of adults and children watching a matinee movie.

Scene of bombed interior of a cinema. collapsed roof and debris on the floor.
Interior of Odeon cinema after 14 September 1940 bombing.

A Volunteer Aid Detachment Worker of the time describes the traumatic experience of witnessing the young victims in the Royal Sussex County Hospital:

Transcript
‘The worst thing we had, really, was when they hit the cinema for children on a Saturday morning. That was horrid.

‘Because the ‘Alex’ was full we had four on our ward. And [I said] to my shame, ‘I can’t look after the children’. You could see the soldiers and that — it’s silly really — some of them were only six years older, they were quite young, about twenty. But to see little kiddies, you know, with bits blown out of them and that…

‘I don’t think, to my knowledge that we didn’t lose any children, other than those who were dead at the time. The County was very good. We must have had a marvellous staff there.’

52 people were killed in the raid, including several children. The youngest victims were two eleven month old babies.

The Odeon rebuilt

Remarkably the Odeon cinema in Kemp Town was rebuilt and back in business by the end of the year. The cinema reopened on 26 December 1940.

View of interior with seat facing the cinema screen
Interior of rebuilt Odeon cinema, December 1940

The rapid reopening of the cinema was encouraged by the owner of the Odeon chain, Oscar Deutsch. Although it clearly brought in revenue and provided a source of entertainment to the people of Kemp Town, it was also a sign that life would be rebuilt after such a traumatic attack.

Kevin Bacon, Digital Manager

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Una Wilson

Memories of WW2 from Brighton resident Una Wilson.

Born in 1922, Una Wilson and her family moved to Woodingdean in 1931. Her father ran an exhibition of architectural models at the Royal Pavilion.

On leaving school, Una was invited by the Brighton Corporation to train and join a team of tractor drivers to clear areas of Brighton for agricultural use during the war and later they were incorporated into the Land Army. Una also volunteered as an ambulance driver. She lived in Woodingdean throughout the war and was very active in local drama at the Little Theatre.

Home Guard

Brighton Corporation

Land Army

D-Day

Ambulance Driver

Bomb Attack

Blackout

 

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Friendship Card

We can’t celebrate the anniversary of VE Day with our best friends in person at the moment, so why not make a fun pop-up card and give it to someone special?

This tutorial will show you how to create a simple pop up mechanism that can be used over and over to surprise your friends and family.

Download the PDF for more detail.

This activity is suitable for children over 6. Younger children will need an adult helper.

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Friendship Beads

We can’t celebrate the anniversary of VE Day with our best friends in person right now, so let’s make friendship bracelets to give them when we see them again!

Making your own beads is easy and fun and this tutorial will get you up and running using things you have around the house.

Download the PDF for more details.

Suggested age: 6+, younger children will need help with cutting and gluing.

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Tony Simmonds

Memories of wartime Brighton from Tony Simmonds, who grew up in the town.

Page from Tony’s WW2 diary

Born in 1929, Tony was living in Winchester with his family at the beginning of the war before moving to the Kemp Town area of Brighton in 1942. He attended Xaverian College in Brighton until leaving in 1944 to become a clerk at Lloyds Bank for the remaining years of the war.

Winchester

Home Guard

Beach Defences

Air Raids at Home

Air Raids at School

Air Raids in Kemp Town

Invasion Precautions

Attitudes

War Bride

Rationing

D Day

VE Night

Last Months of the War

More information

 

 

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Cut-out Paper Land Girl

Many young women supported the war by joining the Women’s Land Army. As many agricultural labourers enlisted in the army, these Land Girls ensured that Britain could still produce food.

Print out the image below and you can create your own paper Land Girl.

Download instructions

Listen to real Land Girls

To learn more about what it was like to be a real life Land Girl, watch this video.

 

 

 

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Air Raid Damage

Over 470 bombs landed on Brighton and Hove, killing over 200 people.

Although the effects of German air raids were reported, security restrictions meant that the precise locations could often not be published. As a result, we cannot confirm the locations of many of these photographs.

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