V2 hits the Brush Factory at Waltham Cross

My Earliest Memory
By John Young
2 January 1942

My earliest memory is from 2 January 1942, a couple of weeks before my third birthday. I was living in Park Road, Waltham Cross.

At around 9:20 am, there was an explosion in the direction of my grandparents house in Trinity Lane. My mother was obviously concerned for her parents. She took me next door and left me with our neighbour while she rushed off to check on her parents.

I still have an image in my head of myself, in my fawn dressing gown, sitting on Mrs Briden's lap in front of her black kitchen range when my Granddad appeared at the back door.

V2 Rocket

It turned out that a V2 rocket had landed on Chadwick & Shapcott's Acorn Works - the Brush Factory on Waltham Cross High Street. The site is now occupied by Homebase. That means that the explosion was about halfway between our house and that of my grandparents.

Brush Factory

I have only recently become aware that others in our family were even closer to the explosion. My mother's sister was actually working at the Brush Factory when the rocket hit. Her daughter, nearly 17, was working at Webster's the factory that used to stand to the north of Eleanor Cross Road near the railway. I have spoken to her recently and she tells me that her employer sent her off on her bike to check on her mother. Remarkably, she cannot remember any details of finding her mum on the day. Her mother did, however,come out of the incident without a scratch. Afterwards, she would not talk about her experience.

Sturla's Brass Foundry

And it is worse that that for the family. My mother's brother was also very close by at work in Sturla's Brass Foundry. This was situated immediately to the south of the Brush factory Boundary on what is now Wickes' Car Park. The Foundry is, of course commemorated in the name of the new road through to Park Lane - Sturlas Way.

I have always thought that I was lucky, being only about 300m from the event but I now know that my Aunt and my Uncle were both very much closer than that. What a traumatic day it must have been for the Suckling family. It is no wonder that I still remember it from such an early age.

This page was added by John Young on 03/03/2011.

Comments about this page

Hi John, remember me? You lived opposite my grandparents (no 8) we lived at 22. We had lived in Ruthven Ave previously until a V1 fell in 1944? At the end of the road, the house was almost completely demolished. We were living in Wrexham at the time as my Dad was temporaly working at the Gunpowder factory there. I don't remember any of it as I was only a baby.

By Carole Durrant was Carter
On 14/06/2011

WE FOUND THIS PAGE WHEN SEARCHING FOR THE DONOR IN 1940 OF A CURIOUS AUTOMATON DESCRIBED AS ITALIAN BY THE DONOR MR HC STURLA. WE WOULD LOVE TO KNOW IF JOHN YOUNG CAN THROW ANY LIGHT ON THE OWNERS OF THE FOUNDRY AND THEIR ORIGINS - PERHAPS ITALY?? IF SO WHY NOT INTERNED AT THE TIME !?

By Richard de PEYER
On 09/08/2011

Hi Carole, Yes, I do rember you well. It would be good to get in touch.

Please contact the website to get in touch.

By John Young
On 08/04/2012

Hi Richard The Sturla Foundary originated in Limehouse, in the late Victorion time, set up by Henry Sturla senior, born in Poplar His fateher had moved to the east end from Chatham where a family of shipwerights had appeared sometime in the 18th century or before. They would have come from Sturla near Genoa in Italy. The foundat relocated to Waltham Cross at the time of the Great War and was then run by Henry's son, Henry Charles. His son, also Henry Charles, my uncle, did not go into the business.

By John Young
On 08/04/2012

Hi John Young I'm very interested in your information regarding the Sturla Foundry. My mother was a Sturla who's family originally came from Chatham/Rochester. I have been trying to find out where they came from. The earliest reference I have found is John Sturla born in 1733 and buried in Rochester. Hopefully the editors of this page can pass my email address on to you.

By Hilary King
On 28/08/2012

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