Flyingbombsandrockets.com

Streatham and Norbury were frontline suburbs in the Battle of the Flying Bombs. The SW16 postcode was to be battered by 41 V-1s, and 77 people were killed. As an outer suburban area—some of which was still made up of fairly large houses—the death rate per missile (at 1.88) was somewhat lower than it was in the more crowded inner-London areas, although it was still a dreadful loss. Streatham's worst incident was on 3rd August 1944, when 12 people were killed by a V-1 that struck in the Pendle Road area and caused widespread damage across a number of roads. As was common in other areas, V-1s had an unpleasant tendency to fall in clusters. Thus, the Pollards Hill area was to receive six V-1s within a small radius. These killed a total of five people and caused serious damage, with some houses being blast-damaged again and again. Norbury Crescent also suffered badly, with three V-1s killing a total of 12 people. Two of these fell on consecutive days: the 4th and 5th of July 1944. Most of Streatham and Norbury's flying bomb scars have healed with time. In places, though, telltale signs appear. Close inspection of the area around Streatham Station reveals post-war rebuilding and repairs. In other places, such as Lewin Road, 1960s flats plug a gap in the line of Victorian houses. At the end of Lewin Road is a most unusual thing these days: a totally undeveloped flying bomb site at the junction with Streatham High Road. It is now surrounded by advertising hoardin