The V1 cut out somewhere over Waterloo station and went into a steep dive. It exploded in the street just outside the Air Ministry at Ad Astral House in the Aldwych. opposite the BBC at Bush House. For a weapon that (apparently ) couldn't be targeted well the Lufwaffe and hit two pretty prime targets,first the Guards chapel in the middle of Whitehall and now the Air Ministry building.
The Aldwych was packed with people out on their lunch hours. Others were at their desks and some of the girls from the Air ministry were sunbathing on the roof. The modern steel frame buildings stood up well to the blast and indeed much of it was absorbed by the blast wall outside the Air Ministry.This though, would have caused the blast to channel down the street rather than dissipated in collapsing buildings .The blast wave from the V1 was murderous.Numerous people in the street were mown down and killed or maimed, more died in the ruins of buses and the girls on the Air ministry roof also perished. Some workers at the Air Ministry were sucked out of office windows by the blast and vacum and perished. It is normally accepted that 48 people lost their lives at the Aldwych with 200 serious injuries. I have however recently seen a reference to 198 deaths and it may be possible that the number was concealed as many would have been government officials or service personel.
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