What did Alfred Smith do at 43-45 Central Street?

Smith at 43-45 Central Street On the afternoon of 13 June 1917, Constable Alfred Smith stood at 43-45 Central Street when German bombs fell on this very spot, devastating the factory workers sheltering inside. Rather than seeking cover himself, the 37-year-old policeman made the extraordinary choice to usher as many people as he could to safety, remaining at his post even as the building collapsed around him—a decision that cost him his life but saved countless others.

This corner of Islington, which had been a hub of wartime industrial activity, became both the site of tragedy and an enduring testament to Smith's courage during London's most vulnerable hours. Today, standing before this green plaque, you're not just marking a historical date, but honoring the precise ground where an ordinary man performed an act of extraordinary bravery, transforming an ordinary factory address into sacred ground in the memory of those he died protecting.

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