‘After weeks of frustrating false alarms and enemy attacks on “military” targets like the London Docks, war came to Greater London on the warm summer evening of August 15th 1940. The German Luftwaffe meant to bomb the RAF aerodrome at Kenley but the raid’s commander, Walter Rubensdörffer, attacked nearby Croydon airport by mistake. This was against Hitler’s orders not to bomb inside the London area. The raid cost many civilian lives and Prime Minister Winston Churchill ordered counter raids against Germany. This changed German tactics from attacks on our vital airfields, to a wide-scale “Blitz” on English towns and cities.’
I first encountered this vitally important exhibit a number of years ago – tucked away as it is in a very narrow corridor in the upper levels of the manner house that acts as “Honeywood Museum” (situated in Carshalton Ponds). I made notes then (and have quoted this data many times in my historical work) – but the due to the crowds and the lack of manoeuvring space, I did not properly photograph or film this exhibit. However, on Saturday February 21st (2026) – I rediscovered this exhibit with the house being relatively empty. This allow a few tight-angled photographs and a quick “POV” style video. I believe I did a good job considering the conditions on the ground. From three photographs I have reconstructed the text – recorded above. To be clear, the Nazi Germans had perfected the blanket-bombing of civilian areas during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939) – as part of Hitler’s support for the Catholic Church and their fascist-stooge – “Franco”.
The Canadian doctor (and “Socialist”) Norman Bethune discussed the hideous injuries caused to the bodies of innocent male, female, and juvenile victims of Nazi German and Fascist Italian blanket-bombing in Spain – inflicted during indiscriminate air attacks. In many ways, the fascist countries used the bodies of Spanish people to improve the terror-tactics they would use on the world-stage during WWII (the Imperial Japanese had been carrying-out similar tactics in China – and throughout Asia since at least 1931). This Nazi German raid that hit Croydon was a mistake made by the Luftwaffe 210 Group that cost the lives of 62 British people – whilst injuring 37 others. Considering how great the casualties would become across the world due to indiscriminate bombing of civilian areas practiced by both sides – these numbers could be said to be relatively “light”. Was Churchill’s logic “sound” to drastically alter the psychological and physical nature of the conflict at this juncture? Whatever the case, the raid was a disaster regarding Nazi German loss in men and machines – as amongst others– Walter Rubensdörfferwas killed.
Of course, my motive is to challenge and criticise Churcill’s decision in this matter – as it ultimately cost the lives of thousands more British people in the long-run (43,000 were killed and around 139,000 wounded). Conversely, this Churchillian change of tactics meant that the RAF and USAF killed around 500,000 German civilians during the blanket-bombing of Nazi Germany during WWII – wounding another 750,000 German civilians (or 1.25 million combined casualties inflicted during the saturated bombing raids). Of course, the relatively minor bombing raid that initiated this madness began over Croydon on a hazy Summer’s evening during August 1940. All this pales when compared to the 41 million casualties the Nazi Germans inflicted upon the USSR (27 million killed and 14 million wounded – a number combining military and civilian losses). I have heard that the Imperial Japanese inflicted around 60 million casualties (killed and wounded) across China and Asia between 1931-1945. An academic did suggested to me (off the record) that the maps the Luftwaffe were using to attack RAF Kenley might have been out of date – and/or inaccurate. The point is that the Croydon aerodrome was an active RAF base during WWII – and would have presumably represented a legitinate military target. It is only the rather bizarre idea that Hitler carried some type of sentimental opposition to bombing “inner London” – that acts as the pivot for numerous historians to wring their hands in sort of mock dispair. This “outdated map analysis” has two parts:
1) The map mistakenly presented “Croydon” as “Kenley”. As many Luftwaffe maps used during WWII were known to be out of date – this is more likely than it might fiirst seem.
2) The map correctly identified Croydon (the true target of the bombing raid) – but included out of date boundary markings. Whilst “bombing” within these boundary markers – munitions were in fact dropping on civilian housing now lying on what was once part of the land that defined the Croydon aerodrome.
It could well be the case that “Croydon” was mistakenly presented as “Kenley” on the Luftwaffe maps – not that it mattered as both were legitimate “military” targets – and that the map included the old boundary markers that had subsequently shifted – with the land now defining the active aerodrome being redefined into other areas. What was once aerodrome land running across the old periphery – was now Council-owned land comprising of civilian houses and civic roads run through – and around it. Total Luftwaffe strength in August 1940 was between 2000-2,200 fighter, fighter-bomber, and bomber aeroplanes – often flying around 1000 sorties per day against the UK Mainland. Luftwaffe losses (for August 15th 1940) amounted to 76 aircraft across all engagements – while the RAF lost just 34. With the specific attack upon Croydon – 14 Bf 110s and 8 Bf 109s Luftwaffe aeroplanes were involved (some sources suggest the number was between 20-30 – the record is unclear) – these are the Luftwaffe crews that supposedly bombed the civilian population. It is said that the Nazi German losses amounted to 25% across the board – so over Croydon this would have amounted to around 6 aircraft – a small number compared to Luftwaffe losses across the region.
When taken in context, the raid on Croydon was relatively minor in the greater scheme of things – and certainly did not warrant Winston Churchill effectively changing the nature of the war and initiating a full-scale blanket-bombing strategy. Perhaps the final (telling) myth in this story is that “Croydon” was a part of Greater London at the time of the bombing (and therefore “inside London” as the “sentimentalist” Hitler story goes) – but at that time – Croydon was still geographically (and administratively) part of the rural county of “Surrey”. Indeed, Croydon did not become a “Borough of London” until April 1st, 1965. I am aware of this – as I am currently sat in my flat in “Sutton” – also a former part of “Surrey” which joined London in 1965. The facts are this:
Both Kenley and Croydon were situated in Surrey.
Croydon was not “inside” the city boundaries of either “Inner” or “Greater” London.
Hitler’s supposed “humanitarian” directive not to bomb Inner London was not broken.
Both Kenley and Croydon (as “RAF Bases”) were legitimate military targets – given that the UK had declared war on Nazi Germany to initiate the conflict.
When assessing Luftwaffe activity at the time – sometimes records make no mention of the August 15th raid on Croydon – so insignificant was its import.
Winston Churchill used this insignificant (and possibly erroneous) raid to justify the deliberate blanket-bombing of German civilians (surely a War Crime) – a policy which prompted Hitler to unleash this policy upon the UK. When I was young, I was taught that the “evil” Germans initiated blanket-bombing against the innocent civilians of the UK – but like so many stories we were spoon-fed by the State – it has turned-out to be “false”.
SANGHA KOMMUNE (SSR) 