Memories from a patient on the building we now know as Absolute Dental

Here at Absolute Dental, we love to get to know our patients and appreciate them as individuals. What follows is an account, written by one of our lovely patients, who has seen Kingsbridge change considerably over the years. We feel privileged to have been offered this insight into the building we now call home, and wanted to share it with others too:

The story of two sisters living in Duke Street in the war years.



We were both school teachers and nursing members of St John and were asked to train in war emergency work and enrol in the first aid party.


The Iron Foundry (now in 2012, where Absolute Dental stands) was employed on war work.


At midday on Saturday 3rd January 1943, German bombers flying low, flew up the estuary to Kingsbridge and with a deafening roar and machine gun fire, dropped high explosives bombs on the town. One of these, dropped from a low altitude, went through a bedroom in our home, through the next door garage/store and exploded in the adjacent jewellers shop, killing the jeweller and his wife.


Fortunately, there was no fire, but almost; a man from the local gas works arrived to turn off the gas from the meters to prevent possible gas explosions.


All the shops and houses in Duke Street from number 3 on one side and all on the other side were very seriously damaged and had to be totally demolished.


Amazingly, 7 people came from the ruins of our home and a lady with her children from the flat above next doors garage, with nothing more than minor cuts grazes and bruises.


After a was at our aunts cottage we reported at the first post, then after some time it was apparent that all the injured and dying had been taken to the local hospital, we were told that we could go home, but we had no home to go to, we were then given a message to stay at a cousins home.


The next call would be to render first aid after the air raid on Aveton Gifford. One girl of 5 years was killed and 20 people injured.


P.S If one stands and looks out of the door and windows of the Absolute Dental rooms, one looks right into the area of the bomb explosion and damage.


LM, Kingsbridge, April 2012