Most of the bombs failed to explode and fell harmlessly near the railway but unfortunately one fell on Sunnyside in Albert Road at 1.27 pm which did explode causing the bungalow to collapse, trapping Frank Reynolds and his wife Ivy. Sadly when the rescue services finally freed Ivy at 2.45 pm she was found to have died. Frank sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital. Luckily their son Brian aged six was at school at the time. The next door bungalow was also damaged and rendered unsafe.
Mrs Reynold’s funeral was held three days later at St Mary’s Church, Woodham Ferrers and the service was attended by a detachment of the local Observer Corps which Frank belonged to. Frank himself was unable to attend the funeral but was said to be making good progress in hospital. Ivy is remembered on the memorial plaque in the church. Villagers made a collection for Brian raising £9. 12s. 6d (£9.62p) an equivalent today of about £650. Toys were also donated.
Today we know Albert Road as a busy road connecting Ferrers Road to Hullbridge Road but in 1940 Ferrers Road did not exist and Albert Road was a cul de sac leading off Hullbridge Road with only a few houses. Sunnyside bungalow still stands to this day.
Today we know Albert Road as a busy road connecting Ferrers Road to Hullbridge Road but in 1940 Ferrers Road did not exist and Albert Road was a cul de sac leading off Hullbridge Road with only a few houses. Sunnyside bungalow still stands to this day.
Ivy was born Ivy Ruth Lilian Tyas on 29th August 1910 to John William Tyas and his wife Ruth Caroline in Fulham. John had served an apprenticeship as a fisherman and at the time of Ivy’s birth he was employed as a North Sea fisherman. By 1921 he was no longer at sea but worked as a general labourer.
Ivy married Frank Reynolds in 1933 and by the time of the 1939 register of residents they were living at Sunnyside with their son Brian and Frank was employed as a builders labourer. He was also shown as a member of Observer Corps 18 K2. During the Cold War there was a substantial underground observation point on Mill Hill overlooking the Crouch Valley and this may well have been the observation point for the second world war post albeit rather more basic. The role of the Observer Corps was, as part of the Civil Defence, to observe enemy aircraft, identify them, estimate their number and height and relay the information back to head quarters to enable the RAF to mobilise squadrons to intercept them.
Ivy and Frank had two children Brian who was born in 1934 and Sydney who was born in 1935 but sadly he died at the age of just seventeen days and was buried at St Mary’s on 26th August 1935.
Frank, still living in South Woodham Ferrers, died on 17th November 1982. There are still members of the Tyas family living in South Woodham Ferrers.