The Bourne Society Volume 70 - Kenley's New Deep Shelter - County Council Chairman at Opening Ceremony

 

Kenley's New Bombproof Deep Shelter

The Bourne Society

 

Kenley's Troglodytes...

Evening News 1944. (Bourne Society)

 

By 1944, up to 2900 people were using the deep shelter at Kenley. Many had been bombed out of their own homes.

Strathearn Herald, 12/8/1944

Copyright of the attached article rests with the The Bourne Society.

Volume 70 – February 2012

Preview

‘So far as human knowledge can tell, this shelter is safe from all bombing’ said Mr F H Jones, chairman of the Surrey County Council at Kenley on Saturday, when opening the new deep shelter which has been cut into the heart of the chalk under Riddlesdown.

Mr Jones had invited the chairman and councillors of Coulsdon and Purley, together with their wives, to inspect the shelter, and afterwards to have tea, which was served in the shelter canteen….. continue reading on link below.

The opening of the new shelter was reported in the Caterham Times  and Surrey County Mail on 19th June, 1942, who went into great detail about the facilities provided for the 1500 people it could accommodate – there was a canteen and medical aid post as well as forced ventilation, electricity for lighting and cooking and running water.

However, by July 1944, when Hitler’s doodlebugs were menacing the local population, a Home Intelligence report stated that:

Unhealthy conditions are reported in the cave shelter in Kenley, where people are said to have been living night and day for three weeks.