Ve Day Tragedy And The Lion Of Plough Road

A Memory of Battersea.

I'm a Battersea boy, born 1938. Two memories I have and would like to know if anyone else can remember are: firstly, at the VE Day celebrations in Winstanley Road, do you remember the runaway horse and cart, probably Leggets the coal merchant's, when a uniformed soldier attempted to stop the horse by leaping onto its neck and grabbing the reins? Unfortunately he lost his grip and the horse and cart ran over him and he died; the second one was when a bomb hit a circus train stationed a the junction but the coaches straddled the bridge in Plough Road, a lion escaped down the embankment and was trapped behind a fence bordering the road. He was trapped there for a number of days and I would look at him through a knot in the wooden fence as I lived just across the road. The smell of the lion hung around for weeks after he was released. I seem to be the only person who remembers these incidents so would appreciate any confirmations out there. There is a sequel to the lion incident if any one is interested.