145 Piccadilly W1

7 October 1940

By Kaitlyn Hanson

On 7 October 1940 - following a four day period of relative quiet for the City of Westminster - a high explosive bomb fell on 145 Piccadilly W1 (a grand stone-faced London town house situated at the rear of 3/4 Hamilton Place, close to Apsley House and East Carriage Drive).

Form 1927-1936 this prestigious Piccadilly address - with a fine view of the Wellington Arch - was the family home of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (whilst Duke and Duchess of York), and the young Princesses Elizabeth and Margaret.

In 1940 the site was being used as the main offices of a “relief and comforts fund”. (Westminster in War, William Sansom, 1947).

The blast severely damaged the building's interior and it had to be closed for the war's duration.

The Westminster ARP incident report noted that a caretaker, wife and child were found among the wreckage, but gave no indication as to whether they were dead or alive. The record also noted that Apsley House -  former home to the Duke of Wellington - did not sustain any damage.

The site was redeveloped in 1975 as the InterContinental London Park Lane Hotel.