Old Pye Street SW1

13 November 1940

By John Winger

On 13 November 1940 at around 8.40pm a high explosive bomb landed on Old Pye Street in Westminster SW1. It detonated on the local Dairy and destroyed it entirely, while also heavily damaging flats on the nearby Peabody Estate.This was a particularly deadly incident that left 3 dead and 12 wounded.

Due to a communication error made by the rescue team, there may have been a fourth dead body. This is because someone moved a body without it being recorded and an un-recorded body was found later. It was unclear whether or not it was the same one. There were also others with minor injuries from the explosion who left the incident scene before they could be recorded.

 

Photo:Old Pye Street, November 1940: Bomb Damage

Old Pye Street, November 1940: Bomb Damage

Westminster City Archives

Photo:Old Pye Street, 13 November 1940: Incident Report

Old Pye Street, 13 November 1940: Incident Report

Westminster City Archives

Photo:Old Pye Street SW1: Bomb Map

Old Pye Street SW1: Bomb Map

Westminster City Archives

Photo:Old Pye Street SW1

Old Pye Street SW1

This page was added by John Winger on 01/12/2015.
Comments about this page

My great-grandfather, Richard Weaver, was in the flat above the dairy with his youngest child Dennis who was 12. Also in the flat was a friend of Dennis. The bomb hit and Dennis and his friend were killed instantly but somehow my great grandfather survived. My great grandmother was in the flat of one of their daughters in nearby Peabody Buildings. Her leg was badly injured (I was told it was acid from the bomb) and she ended up bedridden and died in 1944. She was 54 and had given birth to 13 children between 1908 and 1928, including my maternal grandmother in 1909. Richard Weaver died in 1963 at the age of 74. 
My grandmother was particularly fond of her youngest brother and I don’t think she ever got over his death, she often spoke of him and said he was a talented musician and entertainer. Such such a sad loss at an early age. 

By Robert Keegan
On 25/04/2020
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