In the latest correspondence centring on Sutton's first flying bomb dropped in Caldbeck Avenue, Worcester Park, David Roberts who experienced it first-hand at the age of eight, describes his reaction at seeing a copy of a first aid logbook.

The entries which documented the events of the fatal day of June 16, 1944, when 10 were killed and 40 injured, was sent to the Guardian by reader George Caple, from Taunton Close, Sutton.

In a letter to Mr Caple, David Roberts, who now lives in Crawley, writes: "It was actually quite eerie to see something which to me and all the other people involved, was so horrendous and terrifying, as a simple entry in a log another war statistic.

Something you did answer for me was the question about it being the first flying bomb.

I couldn't understand the fact that people had said it was the first flying bomb.

I didn't think it could have been but I never pursued it or checked it out.

But the first flying bomb in the borough that I can understand.

Something else that was supposed to have happened was that the first fire engine attending overturned whilst turning into Caldbeck Avenue, killing the driver and some pedestrians.

I was unable to verify this, so I never mentioned it.

Did you ever hear of that?

The above picture was taken on the very day that David Roberts was running for cover. Here air-raid wardens, the light rescue squad, and boys in tin hats take a break from sifting the debris at Croydon Road, Beddington, for a snack provided by the Women's Volunteer Service. This was June 16, 1944. Picture courtesy of Surrey At War 1939-1945 by Bob Ogley (Froglets Publications, 1995)

December 20, 2001 11:00