Conflicting dates given The last V1 to hit Britain landed near Datchworth, Hertfordshire on 29 March 1945 (none killed or injured). http://www.westendatwar.org.uk/page_id__152_path__0p28p.aspx A Fieseler Fi 103 or V-1 flying bomb commonly known as a 'Doodlebug' to the British fell out of the sky and landed in a field close to a sewage farm at Datchworth near Hatfield, Hertfordshire at 9:00am on Thursday 29th of March 1945. There were no casualties. Though nobody realised it at the time, this would be the ignominious end of Hitler's much vaunted 'V' weapon assault on Britain. http://blogs.liverpoolecho.co.uk/bandofbloggers/2011/03/on-this-day-29th-march-1945--.html The people of Britain called the V1 missiles 'Buzz Bombs' or 'Doodlebugs'. The first was dropped at Swanscombe in Kent on 13 June 1944 and the last one at Orpington in Kent on 27 March 1945. http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/lessons/lesson42.htm
To confuse further, one of the links on that National Archive page says the 28th at Swanscombe! http://www.flyingbombsandrockets.com/Timeline.html
Depends on your definition of the last V1 strike..... The last V1, launched at the UK, was shot down by Anti-Aircraft fire, off Orfordness, on the 29th March at 12.43 hrs. It exploded in mid-air. The last V1, according to my records/research, to hit the ground in the UK was at Iwade, Kent, at 09.59 hrs on the 29th, having been brought down by Anti-Aircraft fire. The Datchworth V1 was the last V1 to hit UK soil, of its own accord. Naval Military Press is about to publish my database, which lists all of the 8500+ V1 and V2 strikes on the UK. This includes grid references.
It will be in CD-Rom format, and searchable. The CD will contain details, in searchable format, of: 1 All civilians killed/injured in air raids of WW1 2 The location/address of every bomb dropped on London from 1915-1918 3 Details of all 60,000+ civilians killed in air raids and other military attributable circumstances, for WW2. Unlike the CWGC data, this will include the name/age of ALL casualties (as I have used the original information supplied by councils). Some aeroplane crashes, causing civilian deaths, have additional information. 4 Details of all 80,000+ Civilians killed/injured in WW2 London and the surrounding area (basically within the confines of the M25 motorway) - age, home address, injuries, hospital/mortuary to which they were taken etc 5 All V1 strikes on the UK (including air launched strikes), with details of how the V1 was brought down (Fighter, Barrage Balloon, AA etc) and location of impact 6 All V2 strikes on the UK, with details of casualties, damage to properties, and the location of where the rocket struck (grid references) Following the release of this CD-Rom, there will follow a second CD which will contain the details of all addresses and air raid property damage for the London area, based on Fire Brigade and Police records. It is 25+ years of research and will, I hope, prove useful to many. I believe the publishers are also planning to release some (all?) of this information in printed form, at some later stage, in area format - eg Dartford or Bromley etc.
Blimey - you've been busy. Top stuff and much needed for researchers - and a great tribute to the civilian war dead too, Pete.
Pete Wood - I have checked the Naval & Military Press website but there doesn't seem to be any mention of your publication - is there any way I can get a copy?
You may be interested in this book released earlier this year. After the Battle - Books > Stations of Coastal Command Then and Now Don’t worry about the title of the link it takes you to a V Weapon book.
There is some very informative information here on V2 strikes on Britain from September 1944 onwards showing attacks on London and also falling in the Norwich area between the city and the sea. WWII V2 Rocket Attacks - Dedicated to the Civilian victims.