War Damage

There were two buildings in London called Electra House. Both suffered bomb damage in World War II. Electra House Moorgate, built in 1902, was the former headquarters of the Eastern Telegraph and allied companies. Electra House Victoria Embankment, built in 1929, was initially the administrative centre of the company, which in 1935 became Cable and Wireless Limited.

Electra House, Moorgate

The bombing of Electra House, 84 Moorgate, happened on the night of the 10th May 1941 (the last night of the London blitz). The building was hit by a number of incendiaries which caused serious damage. A bomb which hit an adjacent building completed the job and the building was abandoned. Fortunately there were no casualties among the staff, who were moved to the other Electra House on Victoria Embankment, which became the major communications centre for Cable and Wireless. Electra House Moorgate was rebuilt after the war and is now a campus of London Metropolitan University.

Electra House, Victoria Embankment - Flying Bomb Attack

In the early hours  of 24th July 1944, a V1 flying bomb landed on Temple Place, destroying part of Electra House, and also 2 Temple Place, the former estate office of William Waldorf Astor. Three members of staff in Electra House were killed and 17 injured. Serious though the blast was, communications were unaffected. The photos and Civil Defence documents below (copyright Westminster City Archives) are from the immediate aftermath, and are a somewhat chilling insight into what actually happened.