This bomb was one of 2,620
which fell on Croydon
during World War Two.

It didn't explode
but was still a danger to local people.
Unexploded bombs, or 'UXB's',
still had to be made safe
by special UXB Teams.

In Croydon
5000 people were killed or injured
and 60,000 houses were damaged
during air raids in World War Two.

This extract from Geoffrey's 1940 diary
is read by an actor:

"August 15.
I got on my bike
and rode to the Airfield.
So far as I could see
the main booking hall building
was on fire,
all the glass was out of the windows
and Rollasons shed
was burning furiously.

August 16.
The BBC said
there was no military damage.
If burning about 100 aircraft,
killing about 100 people
and hitting the main building
where all the RAF officers were
was not military damage,
then what is?
I feel we are not being told the truth
as also do many other people."

Croydon was bombed for the first time
on 8th June 1940
when bombs were dropped
in fields near Addington.

The first major raid took place on
August 15th 1940.
21 aircraft attacked Croydon Airport
for half an hour.
The raid killed 62 people, injured 174
and left 50 houses uninhabitable.
People called it Black Thursday.

Over the next 8 months
Croydon was targeted for bombing
because of its airports, factories
and position to the south of London.

Maps and Borough Engineer's Reports
for the County Borough of Croydon
record the location and damage caused
by every bomb which fell on Croydon.

Copies of these, along with
a wide selection of photographs,
can be viewed in the
Research Room.

The Research Room is on the
lower ground floor of the Clocktower.
It is open Tuesday-Saturday
10:30am-5pm.