A female German Jew born in 1925 lived in Leipzig deported to Riga [Latvia] in January 1942

UNTIL ABOUT 1940 WE LIVED IN OUR OWN HOME THEN WE HAD TO MOVE TO A JUDENHAUS [JEW HOUSE] AND WE LIVED THERE UNTIL DEPORTATION THE HOUSE HAD TEN ROOMS AND TEN FAMILIES LIVED THERE EACH OF US HAD ONE ROOM WE WERE LUCKY WE HAD A BATHROOM AND A KITCHEN ACROSS THE HALL

WE HAD ALREADY HAD BOMBING AND ALARMS WHEN WE HAD TO GO IN THE BACK OF THE COAL CELLAR

WE WERE NOT ALLOWED TO GO TO THE AIR RAID SHELTER

ROUND ABOUT THE BEGINNING OF JANUARY 1942 WE GOT A LETTER THAT WE HAD TO REPORT TO AN ASSEMBLY CAMP ON JANUARY 1942

ON JANUARY 21 1942 WE WERE PUT ON TRAINS AND SENT TO RIGA

EVERYBODY SAW THE JEWS LEAVING LEIPZIG AND THEY WERE HAPPY A LOT OF THEM

WERE STANDING THERE LAUGHING

ON JANUARY 24 1942 WE ARRIVED IN RIGA

MY FATHER WAS TAKEN AWAY MY MOTHER ONLY SAW HIM THREE OR FOUR WEEKS LATER

THERE WAS A BIG GHETTO THEY HAD KILLED ALL THE LATVIAN JEWS THERE TO MAKE ROOM FOR THE GERMAN JEWS

THE LATVIANS WERE WORSE THAN THE GERMANS THEY WERE TERRIBLE

THE LATVIANS WANTED TO STORM THE GHETTO THEY WANTED TO KILL THE JEWS

SO THE GERMANS HAD TO PROTECT US IT WAS RATHER IRONICAL

What did you know about mass executions or murder of Jews

I ONLY KNEW ABOUT PEOPLE IN RIGA THEY HAD NO GAS CHAMBERS THERE BUT THEY SHOT PEOPLE

WHEN WE WERE SENT AWAY FROM RIGA WE WERE 500 OUT OF WHAT HAD BEEN A TOTAL OF 2,500

THE REST GOT SHOT

AS FOR AUSCHWITZ I ONLY HEARD ABOUT IT AT THE END OF THE WAR

A GERMAN BORN IN KREFELD-URDINGEN IN 1920 WHO WENT ON TO SERVE ON THE RUSSIAN FRONT IN WW2 DESCRIBES HIS EXPERIENCES

QUESTION- WERE THE PEOPLE IN URDINGEN AFRAID OF THE GESTAPO THE POLICE OR THE NAZIS

ANSWER- NOT THAT I KNEW THINGS LIKE THAT WERE NOT BROADCAST WIDELY EXCEPT FOR WHEN THEY APPLIED TO THE JEWS

EVEN THEN IT WAS DONE ON THE QUIET THE GESTAPO CAME AT NIGHT AND TOOK THE JEWS AWAY ONE WOULD KNOW ABOUT THIS THE FOLLOWING DAY

PEOPLE WERE RATHER CAUTIOUS IN DISCUSSING SUCH MATTERS

THERE WERE PEOPLE WHO SUPPORTED THIS BUT ALSO THOSE AGAINST

QUESTION- WHAT DID PEOPLE THINK HAPPENED TO JEWS TAKEN AWAY

ANSWER- THE WORST YOU CAN'T IMAGINE WHAT THE AGITATION AGAINST THE JEWS WAS LIKE

THERE WAS A NEWSPAPER CALLED DER STURMER IT WAS SOMETHING YOU JUST CAN'T IMAGINE IT WAS SPEWED OUT WEEK AFTER WEEK

THERE WERE ANTI-SEMITIC FILMS SUCH AS JUD SUSS WHICH I SAW MYSELF WE HAD TO GO AND SEE IT BECAUSE OF SCHOOL THAT WAS A KIND OF AGITATION

SO WHEN JEWS WERE DEPORTED WE KNEW SOMETHING WAS GOING TO HAPPEN TO THEM

While serving on the Eastern front

THE WAY THE EASTERN JEWS WERE TREATED WAS THE WORST

THERE WERE HUGE NUMBERS MILLIONS OF JEWS THEY WERE DRIVEN LIKE LIVESTOCK AND WHOEVER WAS UNABLE TO GO WAS BEATEN WITH TRUNCHEONS AND WAS SHOT

LATER A COUPLE OF WAGONS WOULD COME BY AND PICK THEM UP IT WAS TERRIBLE

I DON'T KNOW OF ANY ATROCITIES COMMITTED BY MEMBERS OF THE WEHRMACHT [ARMY]

PERHAPS THAT HAPPENED BUT NOT ON A LARGE SCALE I WOULD SAY

BUT IN THE SS IT WAS DIFFERENT THEY WERE DEPLOYED BEHIND THE FRONT

THEY ONLY CARRIED OUT MANHUNTS THEY WERE ONLY THERE TO CATCH JEWS

HOW OFTEN DID WE SAY TO OURSELVES THAT THEY [THE JEWS] WERE IN BETTER HANDS HERE AT THE FRONT THAN THEY WERE BACK THERE

  GURS CONCENTRATION CAMP VICHY FRANCE 

A GERMAN JEW AGED 21 IN OCTOBER 1940 WAS DEPORTED FROM MANNHEIM TO VICHY FRANCE

HE RELATES HIS STORY

AT THIS TIME THE NAZIS HAD NOT YET FORMULATED “ THE FINAL SOLUTION”

THEY SIMPLY WANTED TO CLEAR US OUT OF GERMANY

AN EASY WAY OF DOING THIS WAS PUTTING US ON A TRAIN THAT CROSSED INTO THE SO CALLED NON-OCCUPIED FRANCE [VICHY FRANCE] THIS WAS DONE ON THE 22 OCTOBER 1940

WE WERE TAKEN TO THE MAIN RAILWAY STATION IN MANNHEIM. WHEN THEY CAME TO GET US IN OUR APARTMENT THEY WERE VERY POLITE. THEY CAME IN AND TOLD US WE WERE UNDER ARREST AND HAD AN HOUR TO PACK

WE COULD TAKE TWO BLANKETS SOME FOOD AND NO MORE THAN 100 MARKS

I LIVED AT THIS TIME JUST WITH MY MOTHER THE APARTMENT BELONGED TO MY GRANDMOTHER

WHEN WE LEFT THE APARTMENT WE LOCKED IT AND GAVE THE KEY TO THE POLICE AND THEY PUT A SEAL ON IT

WE WERE WALKED BY TWO GESTAPO OFFICERS IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES TO THE MAIN STATION IN MANNHEIM

WE REMAINED AT THE TRAIN STATION FOR ABOUT TWO HOURS

EVENTUALLY THERE WERE 3,500 PEOPLE AT THE STATION

AMONG THEM WERE CHILDREN AND OLD PEOPLE MY WIFE'S GRANDMOTHER WAS 92 YEARS OLD

THEY WERE ALL STUNNED NOBODY KNEW WHAT WAS COMING NEXT

WE WERE THEN PUT ON A REGULAR PASSENGER TRAIN CONSISTING OF VERY OLD CARS

WE DIDN'T HAVE POLICEMEN WITH US WHEN WE TRAVELLED WE HAD A SS CONTINGENTTHAT CAME THROUGH THE TRAIN TO MAKE SURE WE HAD NO MORE THAN 100 MARKS “ IF WE FIND MORE THAN 100 MARKS YOU WILL BE SHOT” THEY SAID

IN MULLHOUSE THE SS WENT THROUGH THE TRAIN EXCHANGING OUR 100 MARKS FOR TWO THOUSAND FRANCS

WE THEN CONTINUED TO THE DEMARCATION LINE WHERE THE SS LEFT THE TRAIN

THE TRAIN THEN CONTINUED UNTIL WE CAME TO THE MAIN STATION AT LYONS WHERE WE WERE FED

ON THE TRAIN THERE HAD BEEN SOME FRENCH GENDARMES BUT NOTHING ELSE

WE COULD HAVE JUMPED OFF BUT WERE TO GERMAN TO DO THAT

WE WERE NOW IN VICHY TERRITORY ALTOGETHER WE WERE THREE DAYS ON THE TRAIN BEFORE WE ARRIVED AT GURS CAMP WHERE WE REMAINED UNTIL JULY 1942

THE FRENCH PERMITTED THE OPERATION OF SOME SOCIAL SERVICES IN THE CAMP AMONG THESE WAS A JEWISH ORGANISATION WHICH TOOK CARE OF NEEDY CHILDREN

THEY CONSIDERED IT THEIR TASK TO GET AS MANY OF THE YOUNG GENERATION AS THEY COULD OUT OF THE CAMP

SO MY WIFE [WHO WAS THEN MY GIRLFRIEND] AND LATER I WERE TAKEN OUT OF THE CAMP ON JULY 24/25 1942

HAD I BEEN IN THE CAMP I WOULD HAVE BEEN DEPORTED [LIKE MY MOTHER AND MOTHER-IN-LAW]

I WAS PLACED IN A FARM RUN BY THE JEWISH BOY SCOUTS OF FRANCE

ONE EVENING WE WERE INFORMED THAT THE FARM WOULD BE RAIDED IN TWO AND A HALF WEEKS TIME AND THAT THEY WOULD COME TO ARREST US

BUT DON'T WORRY WE WERE TOLD “ WE WILL TAKE CARE OF IT. YOU WILL BE DISPERSED AND YOU WILL BE HIDDEN”

IN THIS PERIOD MY WIFE HAD COME TO SEE ME TO TELL ME WHAT HAD HAPPENED IN GURS AND THAT DEPORTATIONS HAD ALREADY STARTED

WE HAD NO ILLUSIONS WHERE THESE TRAINS WOULD GO

WE KNEW THE TRAINS WOULD GO EAST

I DIDN'T KNOW EXACTLY WHAT THIS MEANT AT THE TIME BUT I KNEW IT MEANT I WOULD NEVER SEE MY MOTHER AGAIN

EVENTUALLY THIS YOUNG MAN NEEDED TO ESCAPE FROM VICHY FRANCE TO THE SAFETY OF SWITZERLAND IN SEPTEMBER 1942

ON MAY 8 1945 [VE-DAY] THE WAR AGAINST NAZI GERMANY ENDED

EVACUEES STARTED POURING BACK INTO LONDON WHICH RESULTED IN FURTHER HARD WORK FOR DRIVERS AND CONDUCTORS OF BUSES TROLLEYBUSES AND TRAMS

LONDON TRANSPORT DID NOT WAIT FOR THE FALL OF JAPAN TO START THE WORK NECESSARY TO RETURN THE NETWORK TO PEACETIME CONDITIONS

BLAST AND LIGHT-WALLS HAD MADE THE ENTRANCE TO SOME STATIONS VERY TORTUOUS GRADUALLY AT THE RATE OF THREE A DAY THE 48 STATIONS EFFECTED WERE REINSTATED TO NORMAL

AT THE SAME TIME 541,922 SQUARE YARDS OF WINDOW NETTING [BLAST PROTECTION FOR ROLLING-STOCK WINDOWS] WERE REMOVED LARGE QUANTITIES OF SANDBAGS WENT FROM STATIONS GARAGES WORKS AND DEPOTS 850 TONS WERE CLEARED FROM ONE BUILDING ALONE

NETTING ON THE WINDOWS OF VEHICLES WAS REMOVED WITHIN SEVEN WEEKS

MORE THAN 381,500 WINDOWS HAD TO BE DEALT WITH

SHELTER OBSTRUCTIONS AND EQUIPMENT ON PLATFORMS WERE DISMANTLED AND REMOVED WITHIN THREE AND A HALF WEEKS

FIFTEEN HUNDRED TONS OF MATERIAL WERE DEALT WITH AND NO TRACE WAS LEFT

OF THE SHELTERS THEMSELVES THE FINAL BUNK THE LAST OF 26 MILES WAS REMOVED ON 31 MAY 1945

ON THE SAME DAY THE LAST OF THE 80 MEDICAL-AID POSTS WAS ALSO DISMANTLED

IN TOTAL 22,580 STAFF HAD BEEN CALLED FOR WAR SERVICE

IN AIR ATTACKS ON LONDON 245 STAFF WERE KILLED AND 1,006 WERE INJURED THIS IS IN ADDITION TO THOSE PREVIOUSLY REFERRED TO AS KILLED AND WOUNDED

COMMENCEMENT OF THE NEXT PHASE WITH REGARDS TO THE BOMBING OF LONDON STARTED IN JUNE 1944

THE FIRST VI [FLYING BOMB] INCIDENT TO EFFECT LONDON TRANSPORT TOOK PLACE AT GROVE ROAD IN THE DISTRICT OF BOW WHEN A RAILWAY BRIDGE WAS HIT AND GIRDERS CRASHED ONTO THE ROAD

FOR 24 HOURS THE AUTHORITIES KEPT A SECURITY SILENCE SUGGESTING IT WAS A PLANE EXPLODING IN THE AIR

THE NEXT DAY AN OFFICIAL ANNOUNCEMENT WAS MADE TO THE EFFECT THAT THE NEW MENACE WAS IN FACT A FLYING BOMB

THEREAFTER RAIDS WERE FREQUENT AND LENGTHY

THIS TRIGGERED A LARGE-SCALE EVACUATION IN WHICH LONDON TRANSPORT WAS HEAVILY INVOLVED 340,000 PEOPLE WERE MOVED

THE BOARD'S PROPERTY SUFFERED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE THROUGHOUT THE V1 ONSLAUGHT

ON AVERAGE 20 INCIDENTS EFFECTING PROPERTY OR VEHICLES WERE REPORTED EVERYDAY FROM 16 JUNE 1944 TO AUGUST 31 1944

THERE WERE A TOTAL OF 270 INCIDENTS OF WHICH 53 CAUSED SERIOUS DAMAGE

ELMERS END GARAGE RECEIVED A DIRECT HIT ON JULY 18 1944 A NUMBER OF STAFF WERE KILLED

YET SUPERB IMPROVISATION [SUCH AS BORROWING BUSES] ENABLED THE GARAGE TO RESUME A NEAR NORMAL SERVICE THE FOLLOWING MORNING

A BOMB ON A MILK BAR AND DANCE-HALL IN PUTNEY HIGH STREET WAS ATTENDED BY LONDON TRANSPORT AMBULANCES AND STAFF WHO HELPED TO RESCUE HUNDREDS OF INJURED THEY ALSO REMOVED SEVENTY DEAD TO THE LOCAL MORTUARY

AS WINTER APPROACHED IN 1944 THERE CAME THE NEXT DEADLY MENACE THE V2 ROCKET

THE FIRST OF THESE TO EFFECT BOARD PROPERTY EXPLODED NEAR WALTHAMSTOW TROLLEYBUS DEPOT

THEREAFTER FOR SOME MONTHS V1'S AND V2'S FELL INDISCRIMINATELY FROM THE SKY

LONDON TRANSPORT'S MOST BOMBED GARAGE IN ATHOL STREET POPLAR WAS HIT BY A ROCKET WHICH CAUSED CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE BLOWING OUT 25 BUS WINDOWS BUT THANKFULLY THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES

BUSES WERE DAMAGED THROUGHOUT THE LONDON AREA AND BETWEEN SEPTEMBER 12 1944 AND MARCH 27 1945 NEARLY 500 BUSES HAD TO BE REPAIRED

THE LAST LONDON TRANSPORT INCIDENT OF THE WAR WAS IN THE WHITECHAPEL DISTRICT WHERE DAMAGE RESULTED IN AN INTERRUPTION OF SERVICES FOR JUST 40 MINUTES

1

UP TO THE LATE SPRING OF 1941 SOMETHING IN THE REGION OF A QUARTER OF A MILLION BOMBS HAD BEEN DROPPED ON THE UK A HIGH PROPORTION OF WHICH FELL ON LONDON

NOW THE INTENSITY OF THE LONDON BOMBING HAD EASED CONSIDERABLY AS THE GERMAN AIR FORCE FOCUSED ON THE INVASION OF THE USSR

NEVERTHELESS THE THREAT OF INVASION WAS STILL VERY REAL WITH REGARDS TO BRITAIN

LONDON TRANSPORT MADE INTRICATE PLANS FOR EVACUATION OF REFUGEES FROM AREAS THAT MIGHT BE INVADED THEY WOULD BE BROUGHT TO RELATIVELY SAFE AREAS WITHIN LONDON WHERE THEY WOULD BE BILLETED THIS TASK WOULD BE CARRIED OUT MAINLY BY DOUBLE-DECKER BUSES

ALSO SPECIALISED STAFF SUCH AS ESSENTIAL TELEPHONE-OPERATING PERSONAL WOULD BE MOVED FROM OUTLYING AREAS TO BUILDINGS IN CENTRAL LONDON DISTRICTS

IT WAS ARRANGED FOR BUSES TO BE READY WITHIN SIX HOURS NOTICE TO CONVEY THE NETHERLANDS MINISTRY OF DEFENCE FROM CENTRAL LONDON TO WORCESTER

OTHER BUSES WOULD BE DESIGNATED TO EVACUATE PERSONAL OF THE THE DAILY HERALD FROM LONDON

130 BUSES WERE PROMISED TO THE L.C.C. HEALTH DEPARTMENT TO REMOVE MENTAL PATIENTS FROM ANY HOSPITALS DAMAGED BY ENEMY ACTION

IF REQUIRED A FURTHER 95 DOUBLE-DECKERS WERE TO BE AVAILABLE FOR THE TRANSPORT OF 12,000 REFUGEES BILLETED IN THE LONDON AREA

ON MAY 10 1941 CAME THE WORST RAID OF THE BLITZ

SEVERE BOMB DAMAGE IN MANY AREAS OF LONDON MEANT THAT HUGE SECTIONS OF THE RAIL NETWORK WERE CLOSED

WITH REGARDS TO THE BUSES HUNDREDS WERE DAMAGED

THE CLOSING OF VAUXHALL BRIDGE OXFORD CIRCUS MOST OF PARK LANE AND ALL APPROACHES SOUTH OF THE RIVER TO TOWER BRIDGE LONDON BRIDGE SUOTHWARK BRIDGE BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE AND WATERLOO BRIDGE MADE ROAD TRANSPORT ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE

TRAMS AND TROLLEYBUSES SUFFERED AS SEVERELY AS THE BUSES

THE FOLLOWING INCIDENT GIVES SOME IDEA OF THIS HORRIFIC NIGHT

A LONDON TRANSPORT GUARD AT BAKER STREET STATION REPORTED

“ I WAS EATING MY SUPPER WHEN SOMEBODY SHOUTED FIRE ON NUMBER FOUR PLATFORM I RUSHED OUT AND RAN ACROSS THE RAILS OF PLATFORMS 2&3 AND SAW FLAMES COMING FROM THE INSIDE OF A TRAIN STANDING ON PLATFORM FOUR

I SAW MEN THROWING WATER ON IT I WENT BACKWARDS AND FORWARDS WITH MANY BUCKETS OF WATER EVENTUALLY THE FIRE WAS BROUGHT UNDER CONTROL

AFTER THAT I REMEMBER BEING SENT UPSTAIRS FOR SOME SAND

I WALKED UP THE MAIN ENTRANCE STAIRS AND A SIGHT MET MY EYES IN THE DISTANCE

IT WAS AS BRIGHT AS DAYLIGHT THE SKY WAS A DEEP RED FROM THE FIRES

SUDDENLY THERE WAS A SHOUT “LOOK OUT BOMBS FALLING” I WAS LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO SHELTER WHEN THE BANG CAME

MY EARS SEEM TO BE BURSTING THEN I DROPPED TO THE FLOOR

A GLASS WINDOW FELL WITH A CRASH NEAR ME THE DUST CAME DOWN IN CLOUDS AS I LAY THERE

I EVENTUALLY GOT GOING AGAIN AND CONTINUED WATCHING FOR FIRES

THE ALL CLEAR WAS SOUNDED AT 6.00 HRS

THE CASUALTY FIGURES FOR THE WHOLE OF LONDON THAT NIGHT WERE 1,500 DEAD 12,000 INJURED

ON THE NIGHT OF JANUARY 11 1941 A HEAVY RAID TOOK PLACE

GREEN PARK ST.PAULS BAKER STREET AND BANK STATIONS WERE DAMAGED

THERE WERE FATALITIES AT THESE INCIDENTS BOTH TO STAFF AND THE PUBLIC

FORTUNATELY THE DAMAGE DID NOT EFFECT THE RUNNING OF TRAINS BUT HYDE PARK CORNER STATION WAS CLOSED DUE TO AN UNEXPLODED BOMB

ON THE ROADS DURING THIS RAID 15 BUSES WERE DAMAGED FOUR OF THEM SEVERELY

TWO DRIVERS AND ONE CONDUCTOR WERE KILLED

ONE DRIVER AND TWO CONDUCTORS WERE INJURED

UP TO THE TIME OF THIS REPORT 22 PASSENGERS WERE KILLED

THE WORST INCIDENT OF THE NIGHT OCCURRED AT BANK STATION WHERE A BOMB CAUSED THE ENTIRE ROADWAY TO COLLAPSE INTO THE SUBWAY THE BLAST WENT DOWN THE ESCALATORS AND THEY COLLAPSED LIKE A PACK OF CARDS

RESCUE WORKERS HAD NO LIGHT EXCEPT FOR OIL LAMPS

AFTER THREE HOURS THE WHOLE STATION HAD BEEN CLEARED OF DEAD AND INJURED EXCEPT FOR A NUMBER OF BODIES TRAPPED BENEATH THE ESCALATORS

A PORTER AND A TICKET-COLLECTOR WERE BLOWN CLEAN OUT OF THE CRATER BY BLAST ONE OF THEM WAS FOUND WANDERING ROUND HIS MIND A COMPLETE BLANK

OVER 100 ESTIMATED KILLED IN THIS INCIDENT

ON THE NIGHT OF DECEMBER 29/30 1940 CAME A VERY HEAVY AIR RAID THAT VERY NEARLY DESTROYED THE CITY DISTRICT OF LONDON

LONDON TRANSPORT REPORTED THE FOLLOWING TO THE RAILWAY EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE ON THE MORNING AFTER THE RAID

AS A RESULT OF THE INTENSE ATTACK LAST NIGHT TRAFFIC CONDITIONS IN THE CENTRAL LONDON AREA THIS MORNING ARE BAD

THEY REPORTED SEVERE DISLOCATION ON MANY OF THE BOARDS RAILWAY LINES SOME PARTS WERE CLOSED AS WERE NUMEROUS STATIONS

THERE ARE NO BUS SERVICES OPERATING THROUGH THE CITY AREA DUE TO FIRES AND TO THE CLOSING OF LONDON BRIDGE BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE TOWER BRIDGE AND SOUTHWARK BRIDGE

TRAM AND TROLLEYBUS SERVICES ARE UNABLE TO REACH THEIR NORMAL TERMINALS AT LONDON DOCKS AND CENTRE CITY DESTINATIONS

MAJOR INCIDENTS HAVE BEEN REPORTED AT VICTORIA EMBANKMENT WHERE A TRAM RECEIVED A DIRECT HIT KILLING THE CONDUCTOR AND FOUR PASSENGERS

AT ALDERSGATE STATION A TRAIN WAS SET ON FIRE BUT THERE WERE NO CASUALTIES

CONSIDERABLE DAMAGE OCCURRED AT MOORGATE STATION THE WHOLE OF WHICH WAS ENGULFED IN FIRE

ON THE NIGHT OF THE RAID THERE WERE 89,000 SHELTERERS AT TUBE STATIONS THE FOLLOWING NIGHT THE FIGURE INCREASED TO 101,700.

DURING OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER 1940 SERIOUS PROBLEMS OCCURRED FOR LONDON TRANSPORT

REPAIR GANGS WERE KEPT VERY BUSY

TUNNELS WERE BREACHED ELECTRIC CURRENT WAS CUT OFF VIADUCTS WERE SMASHED SIGNAL CIRCUITS WERE PUT OUT OF ACTION ROLLING-STOCK WAS DE-RAILED ROADS WERE CRATERED TRAM TRACKS WERE BLOWN UP BUSES DISINTEGRATED

MANY OF THE REPAIRS INVOLVED MAJOR ENGINEERING WORKS

WHEN FOR EXAMPLE THE GRANVILLE TUNNEL BETWEEN KINGS CROSS AND FARRINGDON WAS DAMAGED ON OCTOBER 16 1940 IT TOOK NINE MONTHS OF HARD WORK TO RESTORE THE TRAIN SERVICE

SO MANY BOMBS FELL CONTINUOUSLY BETWEEN SHOREDITCH AND NEW CROSS ON THE EAST LONDON LINE THAT THE TRAIN SERVICE HAD TO BE SUSPENDED FOR MONTHS AT A TIME

ONE OF THE WORST INCIDENTS DURING THE WINTER OF 1940 WAS THE DIRECT HIT ON THE NEW STATION BUILDING AT SLOANE SQUARE

THE INCIDENT OCCURRED AT 2200 HRS A TRAIN WAS JUST LEAVING THE STATION WHICH WAS CROWDED WITH PASSENGERS

A HUGE LUMP OF CONCRETE WENT RIGHT THROUGH ONE OF THE CARRIAGES

THERE WERE 79 CASUALTIES AND THREE OTHERS WHO WERE NEVER SEEN AGAIN

AS RESCUE WORKERS STARTED TO WORK ON THE TRAIN WRECK SCREAMS COULD BE HEARD FROM TRAPPED PASSENGERS

THE ESCALATORS WERE DESTROYED AND SERVICES INTERRUPTED FOR TWO WEEKS.