King Street, Devonport
22 April 1941 · Plymouth, Devon
View this record on the map →- Date
- 22 April 1941
- Record type
- Historic bombing site
- Bomb type
- UXB
- Casualties
- 6
- Location
- Plymouth, Devon
- Position accuracy
- Street located from historic sources
What happened
Six volunteer Auxiliary Fire Service men from Saltash — Francis Brooking (44), Stanley Crabb (26), Alfred Crapp (33), Bernard Jasper (27), John Stanlake (28), and Leslie Tibbs (31) — were killed instantly when their vehicle drove over an unexploded bomb in King Street, Devonport, while responding to help fight fires from the Blitz.
Also worth knowing
Contemporary reporting (85th-anniversary coverage, 2026) describes this as the largest single loss of life suffered by a fire brigade in England and Wales during any one wartime incident. The six men's graves at St Stephen's Churchyard, Saltash, were restored in 2026 following a community fundraising campaign.