Austin Thompson - St Peter's Church, Eaton Square, London, UK
N 51° 29.863 W 000° 08.962
30U E 697861 N 5709028
This is a memorial plaque to a priest who died in the porch of the church during enemy bombing in World War II. St Peter's church is at the north east end of Eaton Square.
Waymark Code: WMEH2M
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 05/30/2012
Views: 1
The church has six pillars along its frontage
with a covered area behind and a wall that houses the large, red doors to the
church. The stone plaque is at the right-hand end of this porched area. It
reads:
Here in th porch died
Austin Thompson
Priest
Vicar of this parish 1916-1941 prebendary of S Pauls
Killed by enemy action on the night of 16 April 1941
whilst firewatching on every night of peril he
ministered to his people in the crypt of this church
Pray for his soul ye who pass by
The West End at War website (visit
link) tells of some of the bombing that struck Eaton Square during World War
II:
"At around 12.30am, 11 May 1941, the trench
shelter in Eaton Square SW1 was hit by a high explosive bomb. Eaton Square,
built in 1827, had been previously damaged on 17 April 1941 when bombs had hit
St Peter's Church and killed its vicar. The explosion – opposite numbers 40-48 -
blew a deep hole in the garden square, which was being used for wartime
vegetable allotments. Luckily, the bomb missed the main part of the shelter - in
which 22 people were gathered. By 4.30 am, City of Westminster message forms
recorded that soldiers billeted nearby had taken at least three casualties out
of the trench. These were taken to hospital; the rest were reported as
uninjured. Rescue workers quickly moved the survivors to safety and later called
a doctor to treat an infant suffering from shock. This child and its aunt were
taken to St. George’s Hospital. By 6am, Westminster Civil Defence records
indicated that seven people had been rescued from the Eaton Square trench, with
one other taken to hospital. Updated reports later suggested a total of eleven
casualties in Eaton Square. Two were subsequently confirmed as fatalities
including the Mayor of Westminster – Councillor L.Eaton Smith - who was
completing a round of night visits to Westminster shelters at the time."