V-1 Rocket Visits Market Square compiled by GordConroy

Wellington Street buildings can be seen behind the Rocket; the back of City Hall is at the extreme right of the photo directly above.

This photograph shows the actual photo album page and the handwritten note that authenticates the date of the Rocket’s visit. The other photos are from the same album. Source: Bill Donaldson FB

It's hard to believe that a V-1 Rocket passed through Stratford in October 1947, just two years after the end of WW2, but it did, and it made quite an impact.

The Rocket arrived as part of a convoy heading to Clinton, Ontario. The convoy ended up in Market Square where citizens could view the “flying bomb” up close. Many others viewed the convoy and the rocket as it passed by their street.

Wellington Street buildings can be seen behind the Rocket in all three photos..

The V-1 flying bomb (German: Vergeltungswaffe 1 "Vengeance Weapon 1") was an early cruise missile developed by Nazi Germany and the only production aircraft in WW2 to use a pulsejet for power. Its official Reich Aviation Ministry (RLM) designation was Fi 103. It was also known to the Allies as the “buzz bomb” or “doodlebug” because of the strange sound it made in flight and in Germany as Kirschkern (cherry stone) or Maikäfer (maybug).

The V-1 Rocket was 25 feet long and had a wing span of 16 feet. Loaded with fuel, it weighed 2 tons and it had a warhead of 2,000 lbs of explosives. The most common way of launching the V-1 was by ramp.

More than 10,000 V-1 Rockets were launched and about 2400 reached their target of London in 1944 and 1945, fired from launch facilities along the captured French and Belgium coasts. The goal was to defeat the morale of the English people by this “terror bombing.” More than 6,000 Londoners were killed and 17,000 injured but morale was not broken. Wikipedia Flighing Bomb

Thomas Hunter, who grew up in Stratford, remembers seeing the Rocket pass by on Huron Street. “We lived on Huron Street by Forman Ave. and I remember standing on the side of the road and watching the rockets being trucked by on the way to Clinton I believe.” Thomas Hunter FB

Further information about the V-1 design and propulsion system and London strikes can be found in the following link: ThoughtCo MIlitary History

Feature compiled by Gord Conroy

V-1

Two Stratford Connections to the V-1 Rocket and WW2.

Vince Gratton told this story involving his wife Maureen and the V-I Rocket attacks in England. "My wife Maureen was born in London England in March of '44. During the war and the heavy bombing on London she and her Mom were moved up north to York. While there her Dad stayed on in London as he was a spotter and a part of the ground crew during the V-1 raids. He came home one day after duties to find their home and all those around it leveled by a V-1. The only object Maureen has of her family prior to the bomb is a silver hair brush of her Mom's found in the rubble. With no insurance etc and no housing they were offered their passage to Canada and a small amount of cash to immigrate. They came over on one of the last voyages of the Aquatania landing at Pier 21 in Halifax in early 1948. We have travelled to England together 4 times to spend time with her extended family and twice she went back home alone. We visited the block her home was in and all the homes today are town houses built new circa 1953. The neighbouring blocks are town houses circa 1890. All of this was a very sobering situation to comprehend." Vince Gratton

Paul Wilker added this family connection involving his uncle Harry Betts who was in the RAF Squadron 158 Halifax Bomber crew: ."He flew 44 bombing missions. Out of 44 mission 9 were targeted at V-1 and V-2 bunkers. He lived on Somerset Street in a War Time House after the war (see Somerset Street).

Here is Mission 16 28/6/44 – Wizernes Target: V-2 Bunker

La Coupole (English: The Dome) is a Second World War bunker complex in the Pas-de-Calais department of northern France, about 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Saint-Omer. It was built by the forces of Nazi Germany between 1943 and 1944 to serve as a launch base for V-2 rockets directed against London and southern England, and is the earliest known precursor to modern underground missile silos still in existence.

Conventional bombing raids only achieved a single bomb hit on the dome itself, causing negligible damage. However, in June and July 1944 the RAF began attacking the site with 12,000 pounds (5,400 kg), ground-penetrating Tallboy bombs.

The Dome V-2 bunker

The external construction works were completely wrecked by the bombing and one Tallboy landed just beside the dome, blowing out the entire quarry cliff face and burying the entrances to tunnels. The dome was unscathed but the buttresses supporting the protective Zerschellerplatte ( dome) were dislodged and slid partway down into the quarry. Serious damage was also caused to the tunnels beneath the dome. It was reported that on 28 July 1944, although the dome had not been hit by the Tallboys, "the whole area around has been so churned up that it is unapproachable, and the bunker is jeopardised from underneath." The Dome is now a museum. * For a full description of the Dome see La Coupole

* Click Video of V-1 Flying Bomb below.

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