Elmers End Bus Garage Memorial

1. London Transport Museum
Covent Garden, London 
The Elmers End memorial can be found here

2. Elmers End Bus station memorial
Information board at the museum

3. Elmers End memorial display 

'London Transport at war' section 

London Transport Museum

4. Elmers End Bus Station memorial (detail)

Records the names of 10 staff killed
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V1 bombing of Elmers End, Beckenham, London

On 18 July 1944 in the middle of London's 'Second Blitz' a V1 flying bomb ("doodlebug") landed on Elmers End bus station, south London. At least 17 civilians lost their lives because of the explosion, including 10 members of London Transport staff. Despite the loss of 39 vehicles in the explosion normal bus services were resumed the following day. 

Ten years later, in 1954, a memorial tablet was dedicated at Elmers End bus station commemorating the 10 staff members who died. A second tablet was unveiled at the main entrance gate to the station which was named after one of the engineering staff, John Cunningham, who had sounded the alarm bell warning of the approaching V1 before he was killed. 

When Elmers End bus station was closed in 1986 the memorials were moved. The  'Cunningham Gate' memorial was moved to the another London Transport garage at Norwood, also south London. Initially the main bus station war memorial was taken to the London Transport Museum at Acton. It has subsequently been cleaned up and incorporated into a section of the museum's 'London Transport at War' section at Covent Garden, London, as can be seen in the above photographs. 

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