THE GREAT WAR 1914-1918
Posted: Wed Mar 22, 2017 1:42 am
On the night of 19th October 1917, a Navy L45 Zeppelin dropped a 600kg bomb which destroyed a row containing three houses, a fish and chip shop and a doctor’s surgery, killing 12 people and injuring a further 24.
I came across this story that relates to these pictures, concerning these three very brave men.
During the night of October 19-20, 1917 a German Zeppelin dropped a 300lb ordnance, known as an aerial torpedo, on to two adjoining houses on the corner of Calmington Road and Albany Road.
The victims of the air raid are remembered on the memorial in nearby Chumleigh Gardens, but three brave policemen, who attended the terrible scene, have been forgotten.
Despite the threat of another explosion due to a gas leak, Inspector Frederick Wright, PC Jesse Christmas and PC Robert Melton raced to the scene – then in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, now in Southwark borough.
It must have been terrifying, voluntarily entering the inferno, not knowing what they would find.
People remember the horrors of the London Blitz of 1940/41 but men, women and children were also killed in air raids during the First World War.
PC Melton was off duty at the time, just a few houses down from the explosion at 24 Albany Road with his wife, Kate, and their two young children, Ethel and George.
All three officers were based at the police station in Walworth Road, popularly known as Carter Street police station.
On their arrival at the scene, the brave Camberwell bobbies cut a hole in the floor and dropped down into the basement, where they managed to find two children in the smoke and chaos.
Ignoring the threat of the building collapsing and the near-overpowering gas fumes, they led the children and a group of shell-shocked adults to safety.
Inspector Wright collapsed, received medical care, went home, and then returned to his rescue efforts later on in the night.
An eye witness spoke of “the great bravery” of the three police officers in a letter to a local paper that week.
He said: “I can assert that their conduct was exemplary, deserving the highest possible praise and public gratitude.”
Inspector Frederick Wright was awarded the Albert Medal for his bravery, while the two police constables were decorated with the King’s Police Medals.
But what became of the three brave bobbies? PC Jesse Christmas and his wife Frances lived at 33 Aylesbury Road in Walworth and in 1919 they welcomed a son, Leslie, into their family.
They later moved to Wandsworth where Jesse died in 1979. Inspector Wright retired in 1920 after 31 years’ service but PC Robert Melton did not remain in the Met Police.
After the First World War, Robert supported a national campaign to improve the pay and conditions of police officers, he even went on strike.
In the Met, 1,056 of the 18,200 police officers employed came out on strike, but this was against the rules and they were all sacked, including Robert.
Robert Melton continued to live with his family at 24 Albany Road and, after being sacked, he took a job as a Gate Keeper at the Rotherhithe docks. Tragedy struck on July 1 1934 when he died from heart failure at the age of 53.
Three selfless and brave policemen who put themselves in incredible danger to try to save the lives of others.
I came across this story that relates to these pictures, concerning these three very brave men.
During the night of October 19-20, 1917 a German Zeppelin dropped a 300lb ordnance, known as an aerial torpedo, on to two adjoining houses on the corner of Calmington Road and Albany Road.
The victims of the air raid are remembered on the memorial in nearby Chumleigh Gardens, but three brave policemen, who attended the terrible scene, have been forgotten.
Despite the threat of another explosion due to a gas leak, Inspector Frederick Wright, PC Jesse Christmas and PC Robert Melton raced to the scene – then in the Metropolitan Borough of Camberwell, now in Southwark borough.
It must have been terrifying, voluntarily entering the inferno, not knowing what they would find.
People remember the horrors of the London Blitz of 1940/41 but men, women and children were also killed in air raids during the First World War.
PC Melton was off duty at the time, just a few houses down from the explosion at 24 Albany Road with his wife, Kate, and their two young children, Ethel and George.
All three officers were based at the police station in Walworth Road, popularly known as Carter Street police station.
On their arrival at the scene, the brave Camberwell bobbies cut a hole in the floor and dropped down into the basement, where they managed to find two children in the smoke and chaos.
Ignoring the threat of the building collapsing and the near-overpowering gas fumes, they led the children and a group of shell-shocked adults to safety.
Inspector Wright collapsed, received medical care, went home, and then returned to his rescue efforts later on in the night.
An eye witness spoke of “the great bravery” of the three police officers in a letter to a local paper that week.
He said: “I can assert that their conduct was exemplary, deserving the highest possible praise and public gratitude.”
Inspector Frederick Wright was awarded the Albert Medal for his bravery, while the two police constables were decorated with the King’s Police Medals.
But what became of the three brave bobbies? PC Jesse Christmas and his wife Frances lived at 33 Aylesbury Road in Walworth and in 1919 they welcomed a son, Leslie, into their family.
They later moved to Wandsworth where Jesse died in 1979. Inspector Wright retired in 1920 after 31 years’ service but PC Robert Melton did not remain in the Met Police.
After the First World War, Robert supported a national campaign to improve the pay and conditions of police officers, he even went on strike.
In the Met, 1,056 of the 18,200 police officers employed came out on strike, but this was against the rules and they were all sacked, including Robert.
Robert Melton continued to live with his family at 24 Albany Road and, after being sacked, he took a job as a Gate Keeper at the Rotherhithe docks. Tragedy struck on July 1 1934 when he died from heart failure at the age of 53.
Three selfless and brave policemen who put themselves in incredible danger to try to save the lives of others.