On the Eastern wall of the Roman Catholic Chapel of Christ, the King, - Old College, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, two almost unremarkable, and unremarked upon, marble plaques are mounted. They are damaged, with cracks running through them. On one is the Regimental badge of the Scots Guards and the other the Regimental badge of the Welsh Guards.

The chapel was dedicated in December 1948 by Cardinal Archbishop Bernard Griffin of Westminster. It was the first time that there had been a Roman Catholic chapel at Sandhurst.

Four years before the dedication another church service had taken place.It was Sunday the 18th of June 1944, in the Guards chapel on Birdcage Walk close to Wellington Barracks. The service had not long been under way and was being conducted by the Bishop of Maidstone. Lt Col The Lord Edward Douglas John Hay, Grenadier Guards, had read the first lesson.

The service was attended by almost three hundred people, mainly but not exclusively military. They included officers, active and retired,their families, soldiers and the band of the Coldstream Guards.

Overhead, the sound of an engine was heard, drowning out the singing, followed by silence. The explosion that followed claimed 121 lives and inflicted serious injuries on a further 141 casualties. A V1 rocket had made a direct hit on the Chapel.

The Chapel had been bombed before and badly burned by incendiary bombs in 1940 during the Blitz. The roof had been rebuilt and was now made of concrete; it was this roof that the rocket was to strike, causing it to collapse onto the congregation. This was to become the deadliest V1 attack of the second world war and illustrated graphically in the very early stages of the V1 attacks the devastation that they could inflict.

The rubble was ten feet high in places, and it took two days to recover the victims. The only person to survive without injury, was the Bishop of Maidstone who was protected by the portico over the altar. Whilst unhurt, he was badly shaken by the incident and died a few years later, in 1947 aged 60. The portico which saved him survived and formed part of the rebuild. Legend has it that the six candles on the altar, were still burning after the explosion.

Fourteen officers, serving and retired, including Lt Col the Lord Edward Hay who had read the lesson, plus four overseas officers from Australia, Canada and the USA died in the attack.

The dead also included the director of music for the Coldstream Guards and five musicians of the band of the Coldstream Guards.

Another victim that day was Lady Bernard Gordon-Lennox. She had lost her husband killed in action in 1914. Her son, Lt Gen Sir George Gordon-Lennox KBE CB CVO DSO, however, later became the Commandant at Sandhurst from1960-63.

Despite wartime restrictions, a temporary chapel was erected in a Romney hut, a very large version of a Nissan hut, which was attached to the remaining apse, and this was used from Christmas day 1945 until 1962 when the rebuilding began and was completed in 1963 a year later.

The plaques on the wall of the Chapel of Christ the King were recovered from the rubble of the Guards’ Chapel and are a reminder and silent tribute to all the victims of the rocket attack that day.

Explore This History in Person

The story of the Roman Catholic Chapel of Christ the King at Sandhurst and its poignant connection to the Guards Chapel in London offers a powerful glimpse into a pivotal moment in history. Don't just read about it - experience it.

Book your historical tour of Sandhurst today and discover these remarkable plaques and the stories they tell firsthand. 

To read more about the attack at the Guard's Chapel visit the HouseHold Division website