Fragment from a bomb

This tail fin is the remains of a bomb which fell on the house at 7 Lucas Avenue during the Blitz of 4th May 1942. It is a type of weapon called an 'incendiary bomb' and was designed to cause destruction by fire rather than by explosion. Thousands of these bombs fell on Exeter that night and it was the most devastating of the bombing raids on the city during the Second World War. In a single night hundreds of people were killed, and some of the city's most famous landmarks were destroyed including Deller's Cafe and Bamfylde House.