At lunchtime today, it will be 75 years to the moment when a German bomb was dropped on a South London school, killing 38 children and 6 adults.
There is still to this day some debate about whether the school was targeted by the pilot, or if he simply saw a large building in a residential area and saw an opportunity to take out something.
The raid on the 20th January 1943 was part of the German Terrorangriff, to spread terror amongst the civilian population, and although it aimed to take out industrial facilities, it was as much a propaganda weapon.
Reports at the time, and later eye-witness interviews however say that the plane flew low over the site, low enough for the schoolchildren to see the pilot — and by inference, for the pilot to have clearly seen that this large tall building was not a factory. It was also said that the pilot had ignored other more obvious targets such as a gas works and railways.
Why Heinz Schumann chose to drop his one and only 500kg bomb on the school will never be known — his own report from the raid simply noted that he targeted a large building and a block of flats.
He was himself shot down in action a few months later, on 8th November 1943.
The Sandhurst Road School Disaster from Tim Shoebridge on Vimeo.
Some reports of the time suggest that there were two flights over the school, with one using machine gun fire to kill people, but then on the second run, the bomb was dropped, hitting the school building right where the dining room was.
As it was lunchtime, 24 children and 2 teachers were killed in the dining room, with the rest being killed in the collapsed building. Roughly 60 other children were injured.
A nearby church was quickly turned into a first aid station, and rescue works carried on throughout the night. Due to the threat of more bombing raids, the rescuers had to use shaded lamps and flares, but even when these had to be turned off due to two air raid alerts, the rescue workers carried on in the dark.
Mobile canteens were set up, supplying that essential commodity at a time like this – tea and biscuits. A local baker donated enough bread and cake to feed 500 people, and hundreds were reported to be working in the area over the next few days.
The work was carried out despite fears that other parts of the building might collapse, and the following day large cracks started to appear in some of the standing walls.
It seems from newspaper reports that it could have been a foggy day, as they note that fog that hampers bombers at night is a protective shroud during the daylight raids.
This seems to explain one of the mysteries about the raid — why there wasn’t an air raid warning, and why the barrage balloons weren’t in the air.
There was also some muted comments that those parents who resisted having their children evacuated must be paying a doubly high price on the following morning. There were calls for the evacuation policy to be brought back into effect, lest the German’s start targeting schools as a matter of policy.
The following week, around 5000 people lined the streets as thirty-one of the 39 dead children were buried in a communal grave, in Hither Green cemetery, just around the corner from the school.
Included with the children was one of the teachers, Miss Harriet Langdon, forever watching over the children.
Sources:
- Newcastle Evening Chronicle – Thursday 21 January 1943
- Evening Despatch – Thursday 21 January 1943
- Daily Mirror – Thursday 21 January 1943
- Yorkshire Evening Post – Wednesday 27 January 1943
- Liverpool Daily Post – Thursday 28 January 1943
My ex-wife’s family were at the very heart of this tragedy. Her grandfather Fred Greenstreet was a bobby in the area and his wife, Rose, was getting the kids ready for school that morning. She had two boys, Norman and Brian (about 8 and 6, I think) but she sent Brian back to bed as he had a high temperature.
Norman was one of the victims and his father one of the first to arrive at the dreadful scene.
One of the children who survived lived in the same road and was adamant that they could see the pilot and ergo he must have realised that it was a school he was targeting.
As a young child of three living in Bromley I actually saw these planes and the pilots as they flew over our house.I was at the front door with my mother talking to the baker as we heard the noise of the planes and looked up as they flew over and not knowing what was going on she rushed me under the dining room table.I have never forgotten it they were at roof top height.I am sure there were two planes.
I went to this school along with my sisters and brothers back in the 60s also my 3 children attended in the 90s, so I have a lot of memories of the school and always this very sad happening was remembered and never forgotten.I often visit the school grave at the cemetery in honor of all the children and teachers who lost their lives, also for their loved ones who may no longer be with us to leave a little flower or say a little prayer for them all xx Bless them all xx
I too remember the 2 German planes which passes across Moorside Rd,Downham,at Durham Hill as they flew on towards Croydon.It was the lunch hour break from the RC School in Moorside Rd. I could fleetingly discern the pilots and hear the loud distinctive ‘aero engine’ roar. I was to learn these two Luftwaffe fighter bombers had bombed Sandhurst Rd School. It is said, these daylight raiders were retalitory reprisals for bombing attacke by the RAF on German cities.
There is a photograph of the children lying on the ground, in a book. I saw it in Steyning library about 2003
My twin brother Brian and I were walking home from St John’s School Maple Road Penge. We were near the head of Franklin Road wheh we heard an unforgettable sound of an engine above us! Then we saw a German aircraft crossing our path very low
and a close up view of the goggled pilot who waved to us then disappeared past christ Church using the very straight Crydon Road as his guide! It was only later that we learned of School Bombing! This memory can only recall with sadness, the lives lost while we have lived so many years after, mine to end very soon with a more peaceful terminal cancer! Bless ’em all I say!
comment above resbmitted after edit by daughter of 83 year old father!CLIVE SNELLING who says:
6th September 2020 at 6:18 pm
My twin brother Brian and I were walking home from St John’s School Maple Road Penge. We were near the head of Franklin Road when we heard above us an unforgettable sound of an engine!
! Then we saw a German aircraft crossing our path very low
and a close up view of the goggled pilot who waved to us then disappeared past christ Church using the very straight Croydon Road as his guide! It was only later that we learned of the School Bombing! This memory can only recall with sadness, the lives those lost while we have lived so many years after, mine to end very soon with a more peaceful terminal cancer! Bless ’em all I say!