Destruction of the Pier in WW2

Two Days after the Bournemouth Military Band played on the pier in July 1940, it was blown up by the Royal Engineers to reduce the risk of invasion. WITNESS: I remember everyone crowding down to the pier to see it being blown up. We were all very excited but it didn’t work first time and when they finally blasted it, it was a much smaller explosion than anyone expected. OLD MAN: My sister was working in the cafe at the pavilion and could see the pier out her window. She didn’t know about the planned demolition and thought we were being attacked by the enemy. NARRATOR: The sixty foot section was missing from the middle of the pier, which was later extended to 120 feet. Later in the year the remaining boards were stripped and the likelihood of enemies coming ashore in Bournemouth was minimized further. CYRIL BUTCHER: About the time of the war, me and the lads used to go swim around the pier and play water polo. It was great fun at this time because the pier had been blown up. Some of us used to swing from the remaining girders but we had to stop when one boy badly injured himself.