EPW060456 ENGLAND (1939). The Oval Cricket Ground and surroundings, Kennington, 1939

This area suffered badly during the Second World War and successive editions of the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack report on the poor state of the ground. The 1944 issue records the bombing raid of November 1940 when the front of the Oval Tavern was hit, along with the East Mound Stand. The wall surrounding the ground, which was constructed during the winter of 1933-34, suffered severe damage from a bomb in Harleyford Road, but this was swiftly repaired. In May 1941, the Oval was bombed again, with the Pavilion and Tavern being badly knocked about.

In the 1946 edition of Wisden, a photograph on page 35 shows members of the Pioneer Corps dismantling the prisoner-of-war cage and removing the numerous concrete posts from the outfield. The all-important central pitch or square remained in fairly good condition, but the pavilion was in poor shape. In the background, the 1930s' blocks of Reed House and Lohmann House are seen bearing the scars of six years of wartime damage.

I think the Horns Tavern was badly damaged during the war, but not pulled down until the 1960s.

John - it would appear the park is being excavated. I wonder if February 1939 is too early for the construction of air raid shelters? There was a lot of this sort of thing going on by that time. The park still has a rise up to a flat surface even today that may be the result of this work.

These were just gas holders. The gas works were on the river by Vauxhall Bridge.