Flying Bombs During the Second World War

In commemoration of the 80^th Anniversary of VE Day, Philippa Crowther (née Flecker) the daughter of Christ’s Hospital Headmaster Mr Henry Lael Oswald Flecker (CH 1930-55), has kindly shared memories of her time living at Christ’s Hospital during the Second World War.

‘My father, Mr Henry Lael Oswald Flecker, was Headmaster of Christ’s Hospital and we lived at the Headmaster’s house by the Chapel during the war.

The flying bomb or “doodle bugs” we called them, came down at night very close to the infirmary, I think demolishing a garage of masters’ cars, and wounding someone at the infirmary.  It could have been so much worse.

At the age of 90 I still remember how my sister, Nicky, and I screamed with fright at the loudest bang we ever heard.  Our mother raced to us and to our brother, James, while our father ran down the stairs to the telephone.

One day our mother was out gathering mushrooms with Nicky and James, when James said “look, an aeroplane”. But the sound stopped overhead.  I think our mother lay on top of the children, the mushrooms fell out of the basket, the dog ran away and the doodlebug fell and exploded in Barnes Green.’

Philippa Crowther (née Flecker)

Photo: Mr Henry Lael Oswald Flecker

Photo: Mr Henry Oswald Lael Flecker’s portrait, which hangs in the CH dining hall today.

Thank you to Phillipa for sharing her memories and to CH Museum for providing photos.