THE THAMES AT WAR!Research ProjectThe Thames at War

project is part of the

Riverpedia project, a

community research

initiative supported by

the Public

Engagement Unit at

University College London.! Riverpedia is part of

the Thames Discovery Programme, a community

archaeology project supported by the Heritage

Lottery Fund and managed by the Thames Estuary

Partnership, with support from the Thames

Explorer Trust, the Museum of London, English

Heritage and UCL.

Riverpedia

If you have any questions about the

project, please contact us: 0207 6790540

or email: enquiries@thamesdiscovery.org Thames Discovery Programme

The Thames Discovery Programme is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund

and managed by the Thames Estuary Partnership with support from the

Thames Explorer Trust

Isle of Dogs

THAMES AT WAR Research ProjectThames Discovery Programme

During the Blitz, the docks, the riverside warehouses and the

neighbouring communities were very heavily bombed. There was

also a serious danger of flooding if breaches in the river wall were

not repaired quickly and well.! To ensure that low-lying areas of

London such as the Isle of Dogs were not inundated during the

Blitz, a special rapid-response unit was set up be the London

County Council (LCC). This was called the Thames Flood

Emergency Repairs team, or TF (Thames Flood) for short.! They

had four depots across London, one of which was in Poplar, at

Pryimont Wharf off Saunders Ness Road. Each depot had an office

and mess rooms, an air-raid shelter, and a vast store of sand-bags,

timber and tarpaulins, as well as two lorries, all secured behind a

strong fence or hoarding.

The TDP are studying the vital work of this organisation, and we

would be delighted to hear from anyone with information on the

TF Depot, or who has recollections of it, or maybe even a

photograph from the 1940s.

We would also be keen to hear from anyone with information on

any of the local incidents that kept the TF team busy, such as

these bomb strikes on the river wall

! at Poplar:

Gas Works, Leven Road (Sept 1940)

Millwall Lead Works (Sept 1940)

Barnards Wharf! (Sept 1940)

North Woolwich Station (Sept 1940)

Union Wharf (Oct 1940)

Slipway Wharf (Oct 1940)

Commercial Gas Co (Nov 1940)

Winkleys Wharf (Dec 1940)

Bridge Wharf (Dec 1940)

Samudas Wharf (Dec 1940)

Grosvenor Wharf (Dec 1940)

Rose's Wharf (March 1941)

St Andrew's Wharf (March 1941)

Fenners Wharf (March 1941)

Hutchings Wharf (March 1941)

Millwall Wharf (April 1941)

Glengall Wharf (May 1941)

Union Wharf (May 1941)

St George's Wharf (March 1941)

Aberdeen Wharf (Sept 1941)

St Andrew's Wharf (Feb 1944)

Ovex Wharf (March 1945)

! ! and at Limehouse:

Rose's Wharf (Nov 1940)

Black Eagle Wharf (Dec 1940)

Hermitage Wharf (Dec 1940)

Anchor Wharf (March 1941)

Watson's Wharf (May 1941)

Upper Standard Wharf (May 1941)

Standard Sufferance Wharf (May 1941)

St Helen's Wharf (May 1941)

Thorpe's Wharf (May 1941)

Eagle Wharf (May 1941)

British & Foreigh Wharf, Stepney (May 1941)