Air raid shelters in your home or garden

Do you remember?

If you have memories or photographs of wartime in St John’s Wood or shortly thereafter, we would like to hear from you. Please leave a comment on one of our pages.

This page was added on 08/08/2012.

Comments about this page

  • I remember my father telling me how he sheltered at a bus stop on Wellington Road as the bombs came down when he was returning from school at Finchley Catholic High. His mother hadn’t wanted him or his brother to be evacuated. He also told me how he and his brother had intended going to the cinema off Baker Street the night it got bombed.

    By Dominic Fox (12/07/2015)
  • i do remember our air raid shelter in 88 St johns Wood Terrace.  We lived there from 1942 until 1952 our family had the middle floor.  My dad kept chickens in the yard.  Such lovely times we had.   I also went to Barrow Hill school from 1947 until1953 and absolutely loved it.  Anyone recognising my name please reply, Kenny Poulton.

    By Kenpoulton (05/01/2015)
  • When I was a small child, we lived in the flats at Wharncliffe Gardens, St.  John’s Wood.  Our shelters were above the ground between the block of flats.  Remember sleeping down there some nights in the bunk beds. They would not have taken a direct hit. Our block was bombed on the other end of our flat (apartment). My Dad and brother were home but were not injured. Luckily, my sister, mum and I were visiting relatives in Norfolk.  Many of our neighbors were killed. 

    By Beryl Turner (13/07/2014)
  • My Grandparents lived at 14 Newcourt Street with my dad George and his sisters Rose and Alice, I remember as a child it was very dark inside with gas lights on the walls it had outside toilets and what was called a wash house at the back. Hanging on the wall also out back was the safe where nan kept milk and butter etc. When they were pulled down nan moved to the then new Turner House in the Terrace.

    By Terry Farmer (25/06/2014)
  • I vividly remember the Anderson shelter in our backyard at 17 Newcourt Street. It was most interesting to see the post from Reginald Page who lived next door to us during the war years. His father used to ride a bicycle with only one pedal presumably because he had lost a leg or the use of it.

    By David McCoull (27/01/2014)
  • I can remember digging a hole in our back garden at 16 Newcourt Street and helping to assemble one of the Anderson Shelters. I can also remember being outside and sheltering in it one night when there was a very bad air-raid and the whole sky was red and alive with searchlights and all the noises of the bombs. Later, my Dad bought one of the indoor Morrison Shelters. One with the extra thick (3/8-inch) top plates. I used to sleep on top on a horsehair matrees and slept so soundly that I never even heard the siren going off on the top of the police station just 4 doors away up the street. I also remember one night when there was a heavy raid and we were all in the shelter. I remember hearing bombs dropping all around and exploding. The loudest bangs were from the mobile guns going off just outside our bedroom window

    By Reg Page (03/11/2013)
  • We lived at 16 Newcourt Street. We had an outdoor Anderson shelter in the backyard and then an indoor Morrison shelter. I used to sleep on top of the Morrison shelter on a horsehair mattress. I used to sleep right through the air raid siren which was on the roof of the police station just 4 doors up the street!

    By Reginald B. Page (01/11/2013)

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