Flyingbombsandrockets.com

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Evacuating children from London to the countryside was supposed to keep them safe from the terror of the V1’s. Tragically, for a group of vulnerable infants and their carers sheltering in the quiet Kent countryside, war found its way to their doorstep in what would become the county’s largest single civilian loss of life during the Second World War.

The evacuation of children under 16 from London had ramped up in June 1944 as the V1 bombardment on the capital intensified. A group of young evacuees had originally been placed at a home called Little Mariners at Froghole in Crockham Hill, operated by the London County Council. However, after Little Mariners was severely damaged by incendiary bombs, the staff and children were relocated to Weald House (which has since been rebuilt and renamed Hoplands) on the edge of Crockham Hill Common. It was believed to be a safe haven. Inside were 30 children, all aged five and under, cared for by a dedicated staff of eleven female workers.

 

At 3:37 AM on Friday, June 30, 1944, a V1 flying bomb crossed the coastline and was making its way toward its intended target of London. As it passed over the North Downs, an anti-aircraft battery engaged the missile. The gunners successfully hit the V-1, and the missile began its final descent toward Crockham Hill. It clipped a tree on Mariners Hill, deflecting its trajectory directly into Weald House. The explosion completely destroyed the house. Of the 30 young children asleep in the home, only eight survived the blast. Twenty-two children, many of them aged two and under, were killed. Eight of the female staff members also lost their lives while trying to protect their young charges. It was an awful tragedy that deeply scarred the local community and stands as one of the most heartbreaking domestic incidents of the war. 

 

Today, a beautiful Welsh stone monolith stands in the Crockham Hill village garden. Engraved on its front face are the names and ages of the twenty-two children and eight brave women who died. It serves as a poignant reminder of the fragility of life and the terrible price of war—ensuring that the victims of the Weald House tragedy will never be forgotten.