During the Second World War, New Malden was, along with the rest of the country, subjected to indiscriminate bombing. It has often been thought that there was a 'reason' or a specific 'target' - whether the railway or the water mains running alongside. The reality is that, quite often, the bombing raids in the area were a question of chance; the planes dropping below the cloud cover and their releasing bombs on any viable target they then saw. It was also luck whether or not your house or that along the road was hit.