BELSTEN, D (2617171)

At 1120hrs, 18 June 1944, a V1 flying bomb hit the Guards' Chapel on Birdcage Walk SW1, not far from Buckingham Palace.The blast demolished most of the building and caused large loss of life. The Chapel - built in 1838 and also known as the Royal Military Chapel, St James's Park – formed part of Wellington Barracks, home to the Brigade of Guards. My Father, David Belsten, was a young Grenadier Guardsman who attended the service that morning. He was seriously injured but over time made a full recovery. He sometimes spoke about this incident with tears in his eyes, remembering his comrades who lost their lives that fateful Sunday morning.