On July 1st 1944 at 3.27pm, without warning, a V1 Flying Bomb hit the Corporation Refuse Destructor chimney near Kentons Lane [Now Greenacres, Ed.]

There were many injuries through flying glass and one old lady was removed by blanket from 328? Clewer Hill Road to a waiting ambulance. There were no persons trapped, but 12 houses were 'severely' damaged with a further 100 also 'seriously' damaged, with 250 houses with 'considerable' damage, mainly to windows and roofs.

There were some 60 casualties, 24 of which were serious, mainly caused by flying glass.

By the next day furniture had been salvaged and moved to a railway arch in Goswell Lane, and the destructor chimney made safe by the National Fire Service, using a turntable ladder. By this time it was raining heavily and tarpaulins had to be brought in to protect the remaining buildings.

The destructor was not in use during the war because the red glow from the chimney would have been unacceptable during the blackout.