This site is dedicated to many thousands of civilians across the country who lost their lives in World War Two, especially to the remarkable people of East London whose spirit never wavered while exposed to incessant enemy air attacks, the last V2 rockets fell here less than two months before the War ended, killing many hundreds of civilians.
THE PUBLIC ENQUIRY In 1996 East London's people made History when their demands to have a Civilians War Memorial and quiet Garden on the last remaining available land on Wapping's Riverside convinced a Conservative Government to hold a Public Inquiry. The site would be dedicated to the Civilians, Men, Women and Children, who lost their lives during the blitz in World War Two
CONCEDED
The Public enquiry conceded that an area of land in Wapping called 'Hermitage' was appropriate for the construction of a 'Civilians Remembered' War Memorial including a quiet waterfront garden at its Western end. It stated that the current proposal for a housing development by 'Berkeley Homes', being supported by the 'London Docklands Development Corporation' at the time, was not suitable for this last remaining "significant waterfront site on the River Thames".
ENVIRONMENT FIRST 'Civilians Remembered' had campaigned for several years to save this last bit of remaining land in Wapping for a WW2 Civilians memorial, this area was chosen because it had received some of the heaviest bombing during the war, many locals people also felt that yet another housing development on prime land was inappropriate for this last available site in Wapping. Most of the land had been used to provide luxury housing developments on the Thames, added underground Car parks had increased local pollution from vehicles, so it was no surprise to see an increase in reported cases of asthma in local School Children, many people demanded compensation for the upheaval in their lives, but none was forthcoming or even offered.
SUPPORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The CR campaign won support across the Country, many were elderly survivors of the War, their contribution during 1939-45 had been almost forgotten, most hoped to have seen a war Memorial erected soon after the end of World War Two, it was soon clear that this Campaign was becoming a big Public issue across the Country, many hearts and minds had been touched by it at all levels of Public life including, Her Majesty, the Queen Mother, she having experienced the war first hand after Buckingham Palace was bombed, pledged her support for a civilians war Memorial in the heart of London, and was later to unveil a new civilian's war memorial plaque at St Paul's Cathedral.
SUSTAINED BLITZ
From September 1940 to April 1941 East London was exposed to, perhaps, the most sustained period of aerial bombing on record, constant enemy air raids by day and by night took their toll as the luftwaffe continued to bomb, the triumphant 'Battle of Britain', forced heavy losses on the Luftwaffe forcing Hitler to rethink his strategy, as he turned his attention to Russia he stopped bombing East London by day, but his relentless bombing at night continued. He then sent pilotless V1 flying bombs to wreak havoc, followed by the first ever ballistic missiles, V2s, they came silently, without warning, and their explosive power was devastating. One early morning as people slept in their beds, one arrived siletly to completely demolish 'Hughes Mansions', a large block of flats in East London's Vallance Road, killing almost 240 people, sadly, they were not to see the celebrations ending World War two less than two months later. See Archive Stories of the blitz
SURVIVORS
Many elderly survivors living today lost members of their own families during the blitz, those on duty stoutly defended the Thames with distinction as Hitler's bombs rained down on them. One such Pensioner, a wartime fireman, said: "I shall never forget one particular night in 1941 when Hitler's Luftwaffe dropped thousands of incendiary bombs on London, he had sworn to burn London to the ground. We were engulfed in flames and as firemen tried to fight the countless fires their hoses ran bone dry, it was hopeless, each time we turned around another fire had started, the heat became unbearable, we were working in 'Dante's inferno', I'll never ever forget that terrible night. This unsung hero had survived to tell his tale but he warned that "people today must make sure never to repeat the mistakes of the past, it is only because our generation stood up to Hitler, his racial prejudice and his religious intolerance, that we were able to defeat Nazi Fascism. Our brave civilians should have had a remembrance memorial erected to them immediately after world war two, so why did we wait so long?".
EMOTIONS:
The elderly have vivid memories of the war, it's as though it happened yesterday, they can tell many stories about the blitz. They recall the wailing air-raid sirens, the drone of enemy bombers, the sky filled with searchlights, thuds of heavy ack ack, and then bombs screeching to earth and then the explosions, many escaped nightly to underground air-raid shelters, and in the morning, after the 'all clear' sounded, walked through streets of smouldering rubble and desolation in the aftermath of the air-raids. people were to find their homes and shops destroyed, and incendiary fires still burning, "as kids we took many risks without realizing the danger involved, we picked up bits of shrapnel and kicked spent incendiary bombs off pavements, it was amazing that any of us avoided serious injury, after an air-raid if you managed to get home in one piece, you might be stopped by an ARP Warden on your own doorstep because of an un-exploded bomb or land mine in your street".
AN APT TRIBUTE
The Civilians remembered War Memorial and quiet Riverside Garden' in Wapping will serve the future as well as the past, remembering the living as well as the dead, its location is just a short walk from the Tower of London, attracting many Visitors, it helps to focus attention on the extraordinary sacrifices made by London's ordinary Citizens in defence of their right to Freedom, Liberty, and Justice, reminding younger generations that democracy was not gifted but hard won and should always be guarded vigilantly lest we forget. Winston Churchill had personally experienced the painful cost of war when he uttered his famous words 'jaw jaw is better than war war', he had realised that making peace was a far greater political achievement than making war.
DEVELOPERS RESPONSE The Developers, Berkeley Homes of Kent, proposed a plan for the site which they hoped, would appeal to the Hermitage Campaigners, but found that their offer to construct a Development that included an Exhibition centre and Gallery at the Western end with Housing in the middle plus a small Memorial Park on the east side, did not meet with local campaigners approval, their demand was for the whole site being turned over for the use of a War Memorial and Public garden, the land should not be lost to yet another luxury development along the Thames.
THE ORIGINAL PLAN
showing a third of the area to be used to construct 'quality' flats, 40% for a Memorial Park and the rest for a Gallery and exhibition Centre, the Architect responded to local people to incorporate one of their prime demands, a plan with environmental and Tourist considerations in its design. an extended Walkway along the River is shown below, and a direct link to the Tower of London with riverfront views, plus Public space and a possible jetty, but organisers of 'Civilians Remembered' had set their sights on demanding nothing less than the whole site for their Memorial plan.
THE LATEST PLAN (Click below to see more)
The dispute continued as a new Labour Government came to power, but by December 12th 1997 it was clear things were not going as planned, so Campaign leader Marianne Fredericks, and her colleague Maureen Davies organised a coach trip direct to the Houses of Parliament where they met local Labour MPs. Oona King and Jim Fitzpatrick, Oona's impassioned plea in the House of Commons to Tony Blair on behalf of the Campaign was during Prime Minister's question time, earlier the campaigners and MPs had visited No.10 Downing Street to put their case directly to the Prime Minister why Wapping was a special place for a Civilians Remembered Memorial. ...more history continued
