Sandhurst Road School Disaster
Encyclopedia
The Sandhurst Road School Disaster occurred at a school on Minard Road in Catford
, south east London
on Wednesday, 20 January, 1943, when a German fighter-bomber
dropped a 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb on the school at 12.30 pm. The resulting explosion killed 32 children and six staff with 60 others injured, many buried for hours under the rubble. Six further children died in hospital.
fighter-bombers escorted by Messerschmitt 109 fighters. The planes were to attack any targets of opportunity. The German pilot responsible for the attack on the school was Hauptmann Heinz Schumann from Jagdgeschwader 2
. He was flying a Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-4
carrying a single 500 kg SC500 bomb. Debate exists whether Schumann deliberately targeted the school, or simply attacked what looked like a large factory (the school was several stories high). Witness reports suggest first flew past the school and bombed it on a second run. Another plane is alleged to have also strafed the playground and local streets.
Due to inefficiencies of the warning system, the air raid siren had not sounded by the time the German planes arrived. Many children were having their lunch and the attack destroyed the area of the school where they were eating.
During the same raid four barrage balloon
sites were destroyed in Lewisham, a large gasholder in Sydenham
was set alight, a Deptford
power station suffered three direct hits, and the President’s House at the Royal Naval College
, Greenwich
.
Schumann was killed in action in August 1943.
in a civilian war dead plot. The mass grave has a rectangular stone surround that contains a raised tablet with inscription. The burial was conducted by the Bishop of Southwark Bertram Simpson, and over 7,000 mourners attended.
At the present-day school there is a stained glass window commemorating the event and also a memorial garden.
services arrived at the school quickly and special thanks were made to volunteers, the Heavy Rescue Squads, soldiers of the REME
billeted at St Dunstans and Canadians forces from Bromley Wood. Some issues were raised about how the police were unable to control parents at the school digging for their children, but given the nature of the incident this was noted to have been virtually impossible to stop.
Catford
Catford is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Lewisham. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London.-Architecture:...
, south east London
South East (London sub region)
The South East is a sub-region of the London Plan corresponding to the London Boroughs of Bexley, Bromley, Greenwich, Lewisham and Southwark. The sub region was established in 2008. The south east has a population of 1,300,000 and is the location of 500,000 jobs...
on Wednesday, 20 January, 1943, when a German fighter-bomber
Fighter-bomber
A fighter-bomber is a fixed-wing aircraft with an intended primary role of light tactical bombing and also incorporating certain performance characteristics of a fighter aircraft. This term, although still used, has less significance since the introduction of rockets and guided missiles into aerial...
dropped a 500 kg (1,102 lb) bomb on the school at 12.30 pm. The resulting explosion killed 32 children and six staff with 60 others injured, many buried for hours under the rubble. Six further children died in hospital.
The attack
The German attack formation consisted of 28 planes, with Focke-Wulf Fw 190Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
fighter-bombers escorted by Messerschmitt 109 fighters. The planes were to attack any targets of opportunity. The German pilot responsible for the attack on the school was Hauptmann Heinz Schumann from Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2
Jagdgeschwader 2 "Richthofen" was a World War II Luftwaffe wing. It was named after World War I fighter ace Manfred von Richthofen.-History:...
. He was flying a Focke-Wulf Fw 190A-4
Focke-Wulf Fw 190
The Focke-Wulf Fw 190 Würger was a German Second World War single-seat, single-engine fighter aircraft designed by Kurt Tank in the late 1930s. Powered by a radial engine, the 190 had ample power and was able to lift larger loads than its well-known counterpart, the Messerschmitt Bf 109...
carrying a single 500 kg SC500 bomb. Debate exists whether Schumann deliberately targeted the school, or simply attacked what looked like a large factory (the school was several stories high). Witness reports suggest first flew past the school and bombed it on a second run. Another plane is alleged to have also strafed the playground and local streets.
Due to inefficiencies of the warning system, the air raid siren had not sounded by the time the German planes arrived. Many children were having their lunch and the attack destroyed the area of the school where they were eating.
During the same raid four barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
sites were destroyed in Lewisham, a large gasholder in Sydenham
Sydenham
Sydenham is an area and electoral ward in the London Borough of Lewisham; although some streets towards Crystal Palace Park, Forest Hill and Penge are outside the ward and in the London Borough of Bromley, and some streets off Sydenham Hill are in the London Borough of Southwark. Sydenham was in...
was set alight, a Deptford
Deptford
Deptford is a district of south London, England, located on the south bank of the River Thames. It is named after a ford of the River Ravensbourne, and from the mid 16th century to the late 19th was home to Deptford Dockyard, the first of the Royal Navy Dockyards.Deptford and the docks are...
power station suffered three direct hits, and the President’s House at the Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College
Royal Naval College may refer to:* Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth , renamed the Royal Naval College in 1806* Royal Naval College, Greenwich * Royal Naval College, Osborne...
, Greenwich
Greenwich
Greenwich is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Greenwich.Greenwich is best known for its maritime history and for giving its name to the Greenwich Meridian and Greenwich Mean Time...
.
Schumann was killed in action in August 1943.
Funeral and memorials
Of the 38 children and six teachers killed by the bombing, 31 children and one teacher were buried together at Hither Green CemeteryHither Green Cemetery
Hither Green Cemetery is a large cemetery located on Verdant Lane, in Whitefoot, London, England. Contrary to the name, the cemetery is situated in Catford, but near to Hither Green, Lee and Grove Park. Next to Hither Green Cemetery is Lewisham Crematorium....
in a civilian war dead plot. The mass grave has a rectangular stone surround that contains a raised tablet with inscription. The burial was conducted by the Bishop of Southwark Bertram Simpson, and over 7,000 mourners attended.
At the present-day school there is a stained glass window commemorating the event and also a memorial garden.
Aftermath
Shortly after the raid, an inquiry in to the events surrounding the attack and the responses of the emergency services was held at Lewisham Town Hall. It was noted that local Civil DefenceCivil Defence Service
The Civil Defence Service was a civilian volunteer organisation established in Great Britain by the Home Office in 1935. In 1941, during World War II, the use of Civil Defence replaced the pre-existing Air Raid Precautions...
services arrived at the school quickly and special thanks were made to volunteers, the Heavy Rescue Squads, soldiers of the REME
Reme
Reme may refer to:*Rəmə, Azerbaijan*Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers...
billeted at St Dunstans and Canadians forces from Bromley Wood. Some issues were raised about how the police were unable to control parents at the school digging for their children, but given the nature of the incident this was noted to have been virtually impossible to stop.
External links
- Survivors of raid tell their stories from the Daily MailDaily MailThe Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
- Sandhurst School bombed; 611 Sqn Pilot Interviews on YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
- Names of those killed on Lewisham Memorials Website
- Pictures of the school and bombing from History section of Sandhurst Junior School website