| In 1937 Marriott's farmhouse was demolished, and shops were built on the site. The farmyard was used as a billet for troops during WWII: first were the Canadian Royal Winnipeg Rifles and later, in November 1940, the King's Royal Hussars (9th Armoured Division). In 1942 the Americans then took over the site for their heavy vehicles, and they also had a detention centre there. |
| US Army in Hall Park |
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The 893 Ordnance Heavy Auto Maintenance Company was also based in Rushden.
Other USAF units were based at Chelveston and Podington airfields during WWII.
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At 10:20p.m. on Tuesday, 19th November 1940, tragedy struck Roberts Street.
A lone German bomber dropped one solitary bomb of unknown weight between Newton Road and the centre of the north side of Roberts Street.
This resulted in the deaths of four adults and one child. Sixteen houses were completely demolished.
Afterwards the land was cleared and six Nissen huts were erected to house the American troops who eventually were stationed in Rushden.
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