6 MAY 2021 The Archer - www.the-archer.co.uk The night the bombs fell on East Finchley Mike Coles tells the story of the night 80 years ago when German bombs brought death and destruction to Woodside Avenue and Fortis Green, and uncovers a startlingly vivid letter from an eye-witness that reveals the quiet courage of the people on the ground. Walking around a leafy East Wembley at 5.30pm they were Finchley today on a sunny May unaware of the urgent news day, even in a pandemic, it’s from RAF Intelligence at hard to imagine what it was like Harrow on the Hill. 80 years ago. When we look The Luftwaffe used inter- back to May 1941, we imagine it secting radio beams to help in black and white, but of course their bombers navigate; pilots the daffodils were out and the followed one beam and when trees were blossoming then, just it intersected with another the as they are today. plane was over the target. The The difference is that then RAF detected that the beams we had been at war for 18 had been turned on and were months and the Blitz had been centred over London. With a going on for eight months, every full moon, and an exceptionally night raining death and destruc- low tide to hamper fire fighters, tion from the sky. We know now a big raid was likely. that the night of 10-11 May was And so it proved. Sirens This RAF photo from 1945 shows the bombed houses had not been rebuilt. Photo Imperial War Museum effectively the last night of the began wailing at 11.02pm and German bombing campaign, the bombing started immedi- central London. Nearly 1,500 the incident. Her son Ronald a neighbour until they moved which had failed to cow London ately, continuing through the Londoners were killed and Horace William Smith, 19, died away and the new owner, who or do the economic damage the night until the all-clear sounded 100,000 houses destroyed. later at the Hornsey Central still lives there, took over Nazis had hoped for. Instead at 5.57am. It was the heaviest, A small survivor Hospital. its care. The tortoise, called they were turning their attention most destructive, and most It’s unlikely that Woodside After the incident, a tortoise Adolf in honour of his survival, to Russia and the Eastern Front. prolonged raid of the Blitz. In Avenue, just 150 metres from was found alive in a bomb crater hibernates every year and the Cherry Tree Wood, would have in Woodside Avenue, possibly good news is that, 80 years on, been a target but lost bombers a pet of the Smiths. The animal Adolf has just woken up for the frequently dropped their bombs was taken in and cared for by summer of 2021. anywhere. So it was that a para- chute mine, designed to explode at rooftop height with devastat- ing effect, landed on Woodside Avenue near the allotments at the junction with Fordington Road. Another bomb had dropped on Fortis Green at the junction of Leaside Avenue just a couple of minutes earlier, Houses on the bomb site today. Photo Mike Coles probably from the same plane. In the official listing of Cup Final weekend total, 541 bombers came, some Civilian War Dead, Edith Amy Saturday 10 May 1941 on two sorties, and 505 reached Smith, aged 50, of 37 Woodside began in East Finchley like any the main target, the docks and Avenue, N10, was killed in other day in the Blitz. London- ers had been resilient but were now very weary. However, Adolf the tortoise in 2018, still living in Woodside Avenue. there was a bit of optimism. A Photo Mike Coles week earlier the government had introduced double sum- mertime, which suddenly gave Carey’s war memorabilia everyone two extra hours of By Diana Cormack daylight in the evening. The Rex Cinema (now the Phoenix) When Carey and David Miller moved into their home was still showing films, The on Woodside Avenue more than 40 years ago they took Old White Lion pub in the High over care of Adolf the tortoise, pictured above. He had Road and the George pub (now been found shell-shocked in a crater resulting from the demolished) in Market Place parachute mine that dropped nearby in 1941. were still open and beer was Parachute mines being dropped over London. Photo Imperial War Museum Years later a sort-out in their the previous occupants of the not rationed. loft revealed other survivors house were German. If only In the afternoon the FA Cup from the Second World War in Adolf could speak! Final was on at Wembley and the form of protective helmets Please call 020 8883 6315 men left the pub early to get Where the bombs fell and gas masks. One of the if you would like to see, have home to listen on the radio: Anyone interested in finding out where bombs fell in helmets was German, which or purchase any of the war Arsenal were playing Preston. It London during the Second World War can use the inter- could be related to the fact that memorabilia. was reportedly not a great game active maps at bombsight.org. This fascinating website and ended as a draw. allows you to focus on any area of the city to see the As the fans were leaving number and type of bombs that dropped there during the Blitz between October East Finchley Baptist Church 1940 and June 1941. The city-wide view showing We meet each Sunday for worship at every bomb is a startling sight in itself, bringing home the 10.30 am. If you would like to join us scale of the nightly terror that please go to our website Londoners had to suffer, and for further details. All welcome. more locally the maps pinpoint bombs that fell in East Finchley For more information please contact the Church Office in the High Road, Huntingdon Email: [email protected] Road and King Street, among A helmet and gas mask among the memorabilia. Photo Mike Coles www.eastfinchleybc.org.uk others.