Following the destruction of my home at Gorseway by a 'flying bomb', I have only sketchy recollections of what I did or where I went, during the following first few weeks. I remember a family friend allowing us the use of her home at Elm Park, until such time that the council found us other accommodation. The authorities were empowered at that time to requisition empty houses for the purpose of rehousing families who had lost homes through bombing. I think that it was towards end of 1944 that we were rehoused at 95 Fairholme Avenue. The house not furnished and our furniture destroyed, the council issued permits and a sum of money to purchase the minimum necessary items, beds, table, chairs etc. Not luxurious but at least home for the time being until our former home was rebuilt.

One evening I was upstairs in the bathroom at the handbasin, which was situated under the window, and looking into a mirror over the hand basin, when suddenly the mirror and the window glass disappeared and I was left looking out into the back garden and the railway at the bottom of the garden. For a short while I wondered what the devil was going on, but then came to the conclusion that an explosion had occurred somewhere.  I had not heard any sound before or after the happening and so assumed it was some distance away. Not until later the next day was I told that houses had been destroyed by a [V-2] rocket further up Fairholme Avenue, and on the same side of the road as our house. It was not until many years later that I learned that twelve people had been killed. I was thankful that the blast created a suction, so that the window glass and mirror went outwards instead of in. Bomb blast and broken glass are not a healthy mixture.¹

Ray Smith

¹ According to the book Hitler v Havering the V-2 landed at 20:35 on 20th February 1945 in the rear gardens on the north side of Fairhome Avenue. It resulted in a 31'x10' crater, 4 houses totally destroyed, 3 houses requiring demolition and 12 fatalities.