Rolls Royce Bombing 27th July 1942

The Rolls Royce factory in Derby manufactured the Merlin engines that powered most of the British military planes in WW2. It became a prime target for an enemy attack. The area around it was classified as an evacuation area, should war break out. Many children were evacuated; Belper was one of the towns which accepted these evacuees.

Ernest Townsend, who is buried at Nottingham Road Cemetery, was commissioned to design camouflage for the site. Those who worked at Royce’s referred to areas by their camouflage. The building next to No 2 shop was known as “The Chapel” for many years after the war.

The only successful attack was on 27th July 1942. A low flying Dornier 217 aircraft dropped a bomb on the Central Stores that then passed through a wall into the Steel Store, where it exploded. Three other bombs landed on nearby houses in Hawthorn Street, Abingdon Street and Handel Street. The bombs were dropped as the main workforce was arriving; the packed streets were sprayed with machine gun fire. The bombing was reported in Derby Evening Telegraph as a sneak raid on a North Midlands town.

Details of the 22 civilians who died are recorded on the Civilian Roll of Honour in Westminster Abbey.

Thomas Lee Carlin, pictured, was a serving soldier and doesn’t appear on this list. He is buried in the Soldiers Plot with a Commonwealth War Graves Headstone,

A commemorative memorial was unveiled on the 75th Anniversary of the bombing by relations of those who died and survivors.

Link to BBC story

Twenty-three people died in the raid, the burial places of 17 of those who died is known.

Sadly, not all of those who died have a grave stone and little is known of their history. Vera Mabel Doggrell has a private memorial, those with no headstone, such as Arthur Bacon, have a gold marker.

Any information about the remaining 6 would be appreciated. Please email or contact us.

• Arthur Bacon, 37, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery

• Arthur Frederick Base, 54, buried in Chellaston Cemetery

• Olive May Bates, 30, buried in Normanton Cemetery

• Thomas Lee Carlen, 22, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery

• Vera Mabel Doggrell, 23, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery

• Dorothy Lena Farmer, 22

• Sylvia May Farmer, 2

• Margaret Eileen Finan, 21

• Elizabeth Helen Franklin, 32, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery

• George Henry Gratton, 62, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery

• Dora Greatorex, 21, buried in Nottingham Road Cemetery