James Edward Dunn
Rank Lance Corporal.
Service Number 2656165.
Regiment Coldstream Guards.
Date of death 18th June 1944.
Age 29
Grave reference Sec. B, 2623.
James Edward Dunn was born in 1914 in the county of Shropshire, the son of James and Lucy Dunn. He married Mary Phillips in 1939, the couple had one son born in 1940.
Dunn had lived in Swinton for the previous seven years and resided at 18 Princess Street Swinton. Before being recalled to the army he worked at Burtons Factory on the East Lancashire Road Swinton.
Preceding the start of WWII Dunn served two years with the army in Palestine.
A younger brother at the time of Dunns' death was serving with the army in Sicily, he had been wounded and was in hospital.
James had been attending Sunday morning service at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks London when he was killed.
The congregation heard a distant buzzing. Gradually growing louder which drowned out the hymn singing.
The engine cut out and the V1 hit the roof of the chapel. This was made of concrete, having been rebuilt after damage by incendiary bombs in the blitz. The V1 exploded on impact and the whole roof collapsed on the congregation.
Rubble was piled up to 10 foot deep. 121 military and civilians were killed and 141 seriously injured.
Only the Bishop of Maidstone, who was conducting the service was totally unhurt.
The altar from which he was conducting the service was covered by a portico which sheltered him from the blast.
Legend has it that after the explosion the alter candles were still burning.
As clouds of dust subsided, first aid teams and heavy rescue crews arrived to find a scene of horror and devastation. An initial ARP assessment put the number of casualties at 400-500. At first, the debris appeared impenetrable; the smashed remains of walls and the collapsed roof had trapped dozens. The doors to the Chapel were blocked; the only access point for the rescue teams lay behind the altar. Doctors and nurses were obliged to scramble in between the concrete walls to administer morphine and first aid. Several rescuers and survivors later recalled that the silver altar cross had been untouched by the blast and candles continued to burn. The rescue services and Guardsmen from the Barracks immediately began freeing survivors from the wreckage and carrying them out.
The operation to free them all took 48 hours.
The Guards Chapel incident was the most serious V1 attack on London of the war.
Below are the links to two Pathe News Reels relating to the chapel bombing .
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43805
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=37823
Rank Lance Corporal.
Service Number 2656165.
Regiment Coldstream Guards.
Date of death 18th June 1944.
Age 29
Grave reference Sec. B, 2623.
James Edward Dunn was born in 1914 in the county of Shropshire, the son of James and Lucy Dunn. He married Mary Phillips in 1939, the couple had one son born in 1940.
Dunn had lived in Swinton for the previous seven years and resided at 18 Princess Street Swinton. Before being recalled to the army he worked at Burtons Factory on the East Lancashire Road Swinton.
Preceding the start of WWII Dunn served two years with the army in Palestine.
A younger brother at the time of Dunns' death was serving with the army in Sicily, he had been wounded and was in hospital.
James had been attending Sunday morning service at the Guards Chapel, Wellington Barracks London when he was killed.
The congregation heard a distant buzzing. Gradually growing louder which drowned out the hymn singing.
The engine cut out and the V1 hit the roof of the chapel. This was made of concrete, having been rebuilt after damage by incendiary bombs in the blitz. The V1 exploded on impact and the whole roof collapsed on the congregation.
Rubble was piled up to 10 foot deep. 121 military and civilians were killed and 141 seriously injured.
Only the Bishop of Maidstone, who was conducting the service was totally unhurt.
The altar from which he was conducting the service was covered by a portico which sheltered him from the blast.
Legend has it that after the explosion the alter candles were still burning.
As clouds of dust subsided, first aid teams and heavy rescue crews arrived to find a scene of horror and devastation. An initial ARP assessment put the number of casualties at 400-500. At first, the debris appeared impenetrable; the smashed remains of walls and the collapsed roof had trapped dozens. The doors to the Chapel were blocked; the only access point for the rescue teams lay behind the altar. Doctors and nurses were obliged to scramble in between the concrete walls to administer morphine and first aid. Several rescuers and survivors later recalled that the silver altar cross had been untouched by the blast and candles continued to burn. The rescue services and Guardsmen from the Barracks immediately began freeing survivors from the wreckage and carrying them out.
The operation to free them all took 48 hours.
The Guards Chapel incident was the most serious V1 attack on London of the war.
Below are the links to two Pathe News Reels relating to the chapel bombing .
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=43805
http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=37823
© Susan Tydd 2010
Please do not reproduce without permission
Please do not reproduce without permission