Discover the History of Kensington at War

It's hard to imagine with their typically glamorous reputation, that many of the Kensington hotels were severely at risk during several distinct phases of World War II – and not always exclusively from enemy action.

Early in WWII

It’s not unusual to hear some first-time visitors to Central London asking why so many prestigious older buildings seem to have survived what is now colloquially, if inaccurately, called "The Blitz" of World War II. Actually, the history of London in general (and Kensington specifically) during World War II is an interesting one in terms of property damage.

Some people mistakenly believe that mass aerial bombardment of the capital started immediately at the outset of the war. In fact, the last months of 1939 and the early months of 1940 was a period referred to by many at the time as "The Phony War".

This was because, from the point of view of many civilians, relatively little appeared to be happening. Of course, for people in Poland facing the reality of the Nazi attack this time was a very real catastrophe, but for many civilians in Kensington, the war seemed a very distant thing at the outset.

However, in 1940 what subsequently became known as "the Blitz" on London began. An abbreviation of the German word "Blitzkrieg" (lightning war), the Blitz involved large numbers of Luftwaffe aircraft attacking many parts of the UK, including Central London. Although heavy bombing continued throughout much of the war, it peaked in 1940 and 1941 and that’s the period most correctly described as "the Blitz".

Today, the Blitz is often associated with the East End of London, but it affected much of the capital. For example, in the months between October 1940 and June 1941, 467 high-explosive bombs were dropped on Kensington and Chelsea alone. Although historians debate the extent to which the campaign's objective was largely terror-based or aimed at ‘legitimate’ industrial and commercial targets, the reality was inevitably that many bombs fell on residential areas killing large numbers of people and destroying much property.

The V1 and V2 attacks

Towards the end of the war, many of the Kensington hotels were also at risk from much more high-technology attacks. They consisted initially of the pilotless V1 or "Doodlebug", which was simply a rocket motor on wings with a powerful warhead. It was designed to run out of fuel and crash when over London, bringing mass destruction when the warhead exploded. They were followed up by the V2, which was a genuine ballistic missile with a larger warhead, against which there was absolutely no defence.Yet again, large areas of the capital were seriously damaged by these attacks and there was further huge loss of life.

Own-goal damage

Property owners in the now-affluent suburb also had the risks associated with being located relatively close to heavy anti-aircraft guns based in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. Military historians now agree that throughout the entire war these guns caused little damage to the enemy’s aircraft, although they were an important psychological boost to the population.

What is clear is that many Kensington hotels suffered significant damage as a result of the huge concussion waves caused by these guns when firing. Quite a bit of internal decoration, glass, and plaster was broken, or ceilings brought down by those tremendous shock waves. As if all that wasn’t bad enough, there was the ever-present danger to property and life by falling pieces of shrapnel from exploding anti-aircraft rounds in the sky.

Repair

In fact, many properties in Kensington were damaged by what was effectively a five-year barrage of attacks of one sort or another. Once the war ended, it took many years for buildings to be repaired and restored and in many cases a considerable effort was made to do so sympathetically. That’s why today, thankfully, when you're strolling around the area surrounding the Kensington hotels, you may see very few, if any, remaining signs of those terrible events 75 or so years ago.

Matthew Zelinski works for the London Regency Hotel, one of the top Kensington hotels. This wonderful hotel embodies the true flavour of Kensington, with its traditional regency-style façade and superb facilities. Whether you're looking for accommodation in London for business or leisure, the Regency offers an effortlessly elegant experience.

Writer and Online Marketing Manager in London.