On 14 October 1940 at 8.02pm a 1400 kilo semi armour piercing bomb penetrated 32 feet underground and exploded just above the cross passage between the two platforms in Balham station, while above ground a number 88 bus, travelling in blackout conditions, plunged into the crater created. The dramatic spectacle was newsworthy and pictures circulated around the world some of which can be viewed here.