Eighty years since flying bomb hit Guards' Chapel in worst V-1 attack on London

Eighty years ago a German V-1 flying bomb hit the chapel in Wellington Barracks in London, leaving 262 people dead or injured.

On 18 June 1944, a mixed military and civilian congregation had gathered for the Sunday service at The Royal Military Chapel, which is better known as The Guards' Chapel.

Shortly after 11am, the V-1 flying bomb nose-dived into the roof of the building.

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The direct hit caused huge damage, destroying the roof, its supporting walls and concrete pillars.

Tons of rubble fell onto the congregation, with 121 people reported to have been killed and 141 injured.

The operation to free all of those trapped took 48 hours.

The only person not to be hurt was the Bishop of Maidstone, who was conducting the service. He was at the altar which was covered by a portico which sheltered him from the blast.

The explosion was so big that nearby buildings were also damaged – the incident was the most serious V-1 attack on London of the Second World War.

The V-1, which had the official designation Fieseler Fi 103, was a type of early cruise missile used by the Nazis.

The chapel was eventually rebuilt after the war, with the new one incorporating elements of the original structure that survived the blast.

It serves as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the attack.