..... FROM SEPTEMBER 1939, UNTIL AMERICA ENTERED THE WAR IN 1941, THIS SMALL ISLAND NATION BRAVELY STOOD ALONE IN THE DEFENCE OF LIBERTY, JUSTICE AND DEMOCRACY AGAINST THE MIGHT OF HITLER FASCISM, NEITHER DID THEY WAVER AS THE NAZI LUFTWAFFE RELENTLESSLY BLITZED OUR CITIES KILLING MANY CIVILIANS, A DEDICATED WAR MEMORIAL SERVES TO REMIND US TO ALWAYS REMAIN VIGILANT IN SAFEGUARDING THIS HARD WON FREEDOM, ALL NATIONS HAVE A DUTY TO WORK TOGETHER IN BUILDING A LASTING PEACE, HELPINGTO PROTECT THE ENVIRONMENT, REGARDING ALL LIFE AS SACROSANCT, ABOVE ALL, HELPING TO CREATE A HEALTHY, HAPPY, PROSPEROUS AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR THE GENERATIONS TO COME...
" LEST WE FORGET ! "
'At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them'
This site is dedicated to many thousands of civilians across the country who lost their lives in World War Two, especiallyto 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. Local communities felt that this space should be used for the Community, a further luxury housing development on the Thames adding more underground Car parks could not be tolerated, increased local traffic pollution from vehicles had increased asthma in local School Children it was claimed, many people showed strong support for a WW2 memorial to civilians that had suffered in the blitz would be far more apt than any new housing development.
SUPPORT ACROSS THE COUNTRY
The Civilians Remembered campaign won huge support across the Country, many elderly survivors of the War were still living, their contribution during 1939-45 had almost been forgotten, and this campaign had aroused passions like no other, people wanted to see a war Memorial erected soon, it was very 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 Royalty, Her Majesty, the Queen Mother having experienced the war first hand after Buckingham Palace was bombed, pledged her support for a civilians war Memorial to be erected in the heart of London, she was later to unveil a new plaque to them at St Paul's Cathedral.
SUSTAINED BLITZ
Adolf Hitler vowed to burn this great City down to the ground, sending waves of enemy bombers to drop their deadly cargo by day and night. East London became the front line in the Battle for Britain, yet the spirit of its people never wavered, on the contrary, despite exposure to relentless enemy air attacks, their defiance grew stronger with each passing day, Her Majesty the Queen Mother was proud to identify herself with its people after Buckingham Palace was bombed when she said: "Now I can look the 'East End' straight in the eye".
From September 1940 to April 1941 East London was exposed to, perhaps, one of the most sustained period of aerial bombing on record, constant enemy air raids took a heavy toll on the local population, but the Luftwaffe began to sustain heavy losses as young 'Battle of Britain' pilots met the enemy head on. Hitler was forced to rethink his strategy and turned his attention to Russia. Daylight bombing began to decrease over East London but his night attacks still continued, one night in 1943, the Bethnal green Tube disaster happened when an exploding shell caused panic on the stairs, people were crushed as they fell forward on top of each other, 173 lost their lives
As Luftwaffe Pilot losses grew Hitler started sending 'V1' flying bombs, called 'doodlebugs', they continued to wreak havoc on London's civilians, soon followed by the first ballistic missiles, "V2s" came silently and without warning, their explosive power was devastating. One early morning as people slept in their beds, a block of flats in East London's Vallance Road called 'Hughes Mansions' was suddenly blown to pieces by a V2 rocket which left a huge crater and tragically killed almost 200 people just seven weeks before the end of WW2. See Archive Stories of the blitz
SURVIVORS
Many elderly survivors lost members of their own families during the blitz, those on duty had 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, our generation was prepared to stand up to the evils of Hitler, not to tolerate his racial prejudice and religious intolerance, we were united by our belief in freedom, only then, were we able to defeat Nazi Fascism in a bitter war. so why did we wait so long after the World War Two for a Civilians Memorial? Their bravery should have been rewarded by now ".
EMOTIONS:
The elderly still have vivid memories of the war, they will never forget, it's as though it happened yesterday, they can tell many unique 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 FINAL 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
