Died: Direct hit on an air raid shelter at 46 Swanley Road, Welling
Address / Local links: 46 Swanley Road, Welling
Family / Relatives: Daughter of Alfred George and Daisy Clark. Sister of Jean and Marguerite
Other Information: A Mail Order Assistant
Tuesday 8th October 1940 was a cloudy, windy night…” After the usual morning patrols and reconnaissance flights, two formations of fifty and 100 aircraft penetrated inland from Dymchurch and approached London via Kenley and Biggin Hill at 8.30 a.m. Bombs fell on Charing Cross Underground Station, Horse Guards Parade, the War Office and the Air Ministry’s Adastral House. Tower Bridge was also hit and so was the BBC’s Bush House. Two hours later a second attack with thirty aircraft developed on London. An hour later another twenty attacked and at 12.30 two formations of twelve took up where the others left off. Fighter Command scrambled 639 sorties and lost four machines. Fourteen German aircraft were destroyed.”
It was a tragic night locally, with all five members of the Clark family losing their lives
Una Doreen Clark was born on 8th June 1919 in West Ham.
By the early 1930s, Una and her family and sisters were all living at 46 Swanley Road.
The whole family were killed by a Luftwaffe bomb directly hitting their shelter at home – records state it happened at 12.30am.
Civilian records state simply that she was single, a warehouse manageress, and that her body was identified by her uncle, Ernest R Clark.
BURIED BY LOCAL AUTHORITY – Bexleyheath Cemetery 11th September – We assume that all the victims of this tragedy were buried in ‘trench no.1’ in Bexleyheath Cemetery, where the WW2 civilian monument now stands?
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
If anyone is able to add any extra information, provide more family details, or suggest any corrections, please let us know – also, if anyone has any more photos of this individual listed on our memorials, please get in touch. Thank you.
Commemorated
- Bexley Municipal Borough Civilian Records
- Bexleyheath Cemetery Civilian War Dead Memorial
- St. Michael’s East Wickham Church Memorial Tablet
This story has been researched by volunteers. We have taken every effort to ensure its accuracy. If you are related to Una Clark, or if you have any further information, please do get in touch.