Carlisle Street W1

11 May 1941

By Nichola O'Brien

On 11 May 1941 at around 12.45am, Carlisle Street W1 – between Dean and Wardour Streets and close to Soho Square - was hit by a single high explosive bomb. The explosion tore through the western end of Carlisle Street, damaged Richmond Buildings - two streets south - and blocked off Dean Street. The heavy blast also completely demolished Carlisle House, an elegant eighteenth century city mansion, home to the British Board of Film Censors from 1936.

Initially, civil defence workers issued conflicting reports. A City of Westminster message form for 12.55am warned that two fire watchers were trapped at the incident scene, location unknown. A City of Westminster Air Raid Report also noted the total destruction of Carlisle House and that six individuals were possibly trapped inside, including two wardens and a messenger. 

When rescue workers, ambulances and stretcher parties arrived at Carlisle Street, they discovered large piles of debris and coal gas escaping from broken mains. A pencilled note, written by Civil Defence workers on 13 May, described the smell of coal gas as strongest around 7 and 10 Carlisle Street; rescue efforts were suspended until the gas line was fixed. To complicate relief efforts further, a fire then broke out nearby, behind the Richmond Buildings in Richmond Mews. The Auxiliary Fire Service (AFS) was called to the scene to extinguish the flames.

After extensive efforts by Heavy Rescue teams, four ARP fatalities were finally confirmed in the Carlisle Street incident.City of Westminster ARP had lost two colleagues on firewatching duty in Carlisle House: ARP Warden George Hydes and his 14 year-old son, ARP Messenger Martin Hydes, both of 17 Carlisle Street. Two more ARP members were also later identified as Carlisle Street fatalities.