West Norwood Fire Station, which is now a theatre, and Dulwich Fire Station (above), were both used for alerts
WWI Air Raid Alerts Zeppelin bombing of London started in May 1915. Warnings of raids were rudimentary: policemen on bicycles with signs round their necks reading ‘POLICE NOTICE TAKE COVER’. This was not very effective. Increasing losses meant that Zeppelin raids were phased out during 1917, the last being in October of that year. However, London was by then facing a new and increased threat from Gotha long-range bombers. An attack on 13 June 1917 killed 162 civilians, the highest death toll in a single raid of the war. There was a
Two of the early alerts for air raids
serious need to warn the population to take cover when raids were imminent. In July 1917 a new system was introduced. The approach of enemy
aircraft was signalled by the discharge of two explosive naval rockets from the look-out towers of London fire stations, including those at Dulwich and West
Norwood. The police continued to carry their warning notices as well as signs announcing the ‘all clear’. But this was reinforced by a new innovation: bugle calls from policemen or Boy Scouts travelling in cars. The Dulwich Fire Station was demolished in 1947. The site, at 512 Lordship Lane, is now occupied by a telephone exchange. The West Norwood Fire Station at 2a Norwood High Street has survived and is now used by the South London Theatre. John Brunton
More sites for commemorative map Our commemorative WWI online map has now expanded to include 63 sites - and we are continuing to find more. As well as Herne Hill, Dulwich and West Norwood, the map now covers sites in Camberwell, Brixton, Clapham and Tooting. Of course there are the inevitable war memorials: 25 of them so far, listing a total of 2,347 servicemen and civilians who lost their lives during the war – an incredible
number for such a relatively small area. But as well as these, there are people who were awarded medals for gallantry, descriptions of attacks on local shops with Germansounding names, the Wellcome Pharmaceutical Laboratories where treatments for the effects of poison gas were developed, army training and sheep grazing on Brockwell Park, tents and huts in Ruskin Park as a temporary extension to King’s
Herne Hill-Spring 2015
College Hospital to cope with the numbers of war wounded, Zeppelin raids, convalescent hospitals and much more. You can find the map by going to the Society’s website hernehillsociety.org.uk and clicking on the link. We are still on the lookout for sites and welcome suggestions. Send your ideas to localhistory@hernehillsociety.org.uk. John Brunton
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