Plaque | Civilian war dead | WW2

Church House WC1 - names

Erection date: 11/2/1957

Inscription

In memory of those who died in the destruction of Church House 9th February 1945.
{List of 10 names - see Subjects commemorated.}
11th February 1957

Our colleague Andrew Behan has done some detailed research on these names and also found a newspaper report of the incident at Trove (The Advertiser, Adelaide, South Australia, dated 13/2/1945).  We did our bit for the on-line community by “fixing the text” (that’s removing OCR errors) and give here the relevant section:

"The Presbyterian Church in England lost some of its leading figures recently, when a V bomb fell in front of a hall in southern England in which a conference was being held. Ministers and laymen from all parts of Britain were attending the conference, and the total number killed is unknown. The authorities are still trying to find out how many delegates were actually in conference when the bomb fell. The officials killed were the general secretary (Rev. W. T. Elmslie) the financial secretary (Mr. W. H. Wright), the foreign missions secretary (Rev. T. W. Douglas James), and the assistant general secretary (Mr. W. T. Stubbs). Several members of the head office staff were also killed.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (Rev. A. P. Harcus) escaped because he was late for the conference.

A meeting of the Faith and Order Department of the British Council of Churches had just concluded in the same block of buildings. One member, the Rev. Reginald Tribe, former director of the Anglican Society of the Sacred Mission, was killed, and others were injured."

Site: United Reformed Church Trust (3 memorials)

WC1, Wakefield Street, United Reformed Church Trust

The blue plaque is on the site of number 13, now the United Reformed Church Trust’s UK headquarters. The other two plaques are inside, in the reception area on the ground floor.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Church House WC1 - names

Subjects commemorated i

Civilian deaths in London caused by enemy action

This page brings together all the memorials that we have for civilians killed...

Read More

Rev. William Thorburn Elmslie

The Reverend William Thorburn Elmslie, M.A. was born on 24 June 1894 in Birke...

Read More

Rev. Thomas William Douglas James

Thomas William Douglas James was born on 13 July 1886 in Gloucester, a son of...

Read More

Muriel Kenyon

Muriel Kenyon was born in 1910 and her birth was registered in the West Derby...

Read More

George Moir

George Moir was born on 28 August 1875 in Methlick, Aberdeenshire. He married...

Read More

Show all 11

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Church House WC1 - names

Also at this site i

Boulton & Park

Boulton & Park

These streets become almost impassible during London Fashion week when the Ha...

Read More

Church House WC1 - building

Church House WC1 - building

Church House Built 1938, destroyed in war 9th February 1945, rebuilt 1955 - ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Spencer Perceval - WC2

Spencer Perceval - WC2

WC2, Lincoln's Inn Fields, 59

This was London's first garden square. 59-60 were probably designed by Inigo Jones in about 1630-40. The house next door, number 57-58 is...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Peake Knight, 1st traffic lights

Peake Knight, 1st traffic lights

SW1, Bridge Street, 12

City of Westminster John Peake Knight, 1828 - 86, inventor of the world's first traffic lights which were erected here, 9th Dec. 1868. ...

2 subjects commemorated, 2 creators
William Wilberforce - SW19

William Wilberforce - SW19

SW19, Souhside Common, 6

On this site lived William Wilberforce, statesman and emancipator, 1759 - 1833.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Octavia Hill - NW1

Octavia Hill - NW1

NW1, Ranston Street, 29/30

This charming street, still largely as built, was designed by Elijah Hoole. Most of it (5-11 and 21-37) is listed Grade II. It replaced t...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators
William Tierney Clark

William Tierney Clark

W6, Upper Mall, Opposite The Black Lion Public House

Designer of the first Hammersmith Bridge, William Tierney Clark, 1783-1852, lived on this waterworks site, c.1839.

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator