| The London Fire Brigade can do little to stop the blaze at Number 7 Holborn Circus, site of Thomas Wallis Drapers & Company, Limited, and 38 Holborn Viaduct, the home of Negretti & Zambra from November 6, 1869, until the building burned down on April 17, 1941. This night saw the heaviest raid of the war so far against Britain, with 685 bombers attacking the capital in a raid lasting from 2050 to 0518 hours. The main concentration point for bombing was the docks and industrial area in the east but many areas of the city were hit. More fires were started, and more casualties reported than any previous day – 1,179 Londoners were killed and 2,233 seriously wounded. Numerous public buildings were damaged, including the Houses of Parliament and St. Paul’s Cathedral. The night that became known as “The Wednesday” of the Blitz. The buildings were struck by incendiary bombs at 0230 Hours. The statue of Prince Albert by Charles Bacon, placed in Holborn Circus in 1874, is framed by the fire. Gamages Department Store, which stood opposite, survived. The Negretti & Zambra building, engulfed in flames, would be a gutted shell as the London Fire Brigade fought the conflagration all night and the next day. All the buildings on Holborn Viaduct, down to the Farringdon Road, were so badly damaged, they had to be demolished. The City Temple, a 19th century church, was also badly damaged. The premises were sadly never rebuilt, and the company moved its Head Office to the existing premises at 122 Regent Street which had both office space and a retail premises at street level. Thomas Wallis, in operation in Holborn since 1826, closed its original store in 1869 and moved to Holborn Circus in 1873. Known for fine linens and house furnishings, Thomas Wallis Drapers was celebrating its 115th anniversary sale at the time of the fire. Images of Thomas Wallis burning were circulated widely. 38 Holborn Viaduct was not the only Negretti & Zambra buildings to suffer during the war; their Half Moon Works also sustained bomb damage whilst carrying out work for the Government. This event led the company to occupy a safer temporary works in Chesterfield, where they were set to work in manufacturing various gauges and thermometers for use in Royal Air Force (RAF) planes. This factory did not remain in operation after the war due to the distances involved, but an aviation factory was set up in Chobham to continue to service that industry. 38 Holborn Viaduct was sadly never rebuilt, and the company moved its Head Office to the existing premises at 122 Regent Street which had both office space and a retail premises at street level. The end of the war also saw the death of Negretti & Zambra Director Henry Noel Negretti (December 22, 1881 – December 11, 1945) and 3 years later, the company was incorporated into a Limited Company with the Negretti family maintaining majority ownership. City Temple wasn’t rebuilt until after the war, re-opening for worship in 1958. | |
| Image Filename | wwii2044.jpg |
| Image Size | 457.81 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2048 x 1516 |
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| Photographer Title | |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | April 17, 1941 |
| Location | |
| City | London |
| State or Province | London |
| Country | United Kingdom |
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| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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