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MIBTRE HOUSE A Brief History
124 THE KING’S ROAD CHELSEA LONDON SW3 4TP
3rd September 1939 Outbreak Of War
During the Second World War Chelsea suffered quite severely from heavy enemy bombing. In particular the area just north of the River Thames around the southern end of Old Church Street was completely devastated.
Mitre House itself managed to emerge unscathed but several buildings to the south of the King’s Road on Smith Street, Shawfield Street and Flood Street were either damaged beyond repair or sadly completely destroyed.
The World War Two Bomb Damage Map of Chelsea (overleaf) shows the widespread destruction inflicted upon the area.The colour yellow signifies relatively minor damage, while shades of orange and red show damage of a more serious nature. Purple designates buildings that were damaged beyond repair, while black stands for total destruction.
On the 1939 Electoral Register the following residents were living at Mitre House:
Flat 1 - Marguerite MacGregor - Unpaid Domestic Duties ‘seeking wartime work’
Flat 2 - Henry Murdoch -
Radio Sales Executive
Flat 3 - Felicita Murdoch - Unpaid Domestic Duties and Kathleen Escoffery, Travelling Dancer
Flat 4 & 6 -Anny Rosa Hagen - Translator & Secretary,
Flat 5 - LilyVan-Vlier -
Film Export Business
Flat 7 - Daisy Adela Alston -
Lady of Private Means
Flat 8 -Thomas B.R.Woodrooffe – Broadcaster, Lieutenant Commander Admiralty, Navy, with wife Ida
Flat 9 - Mabel Nora Snowden - Gives Lessons in Cookery
Daisy Adela Alston - Long Term Resident of Flat 7 Mitre House
Born in Burma in 1887, Daisy Adela Alston was the widow of Lieutenant James William Alston of the Royal Irish Rifles 2nd Battalion.
Lieutenant Alston was killed in action during the First World War.
Mrs Daisy Alson resided at Flat 7 Mitre House until the late 1960’s when the present resident Paul Brown-Constable took residence with his wife, Caryl, on 15 March 1968.
1937 Electoral Register (opposite page)
Royal Irish Rifles 2nd Battalion 1914 France (below left)