| Colchester.uk.com | The History of Colchester 1901-1950 |
| Year | Events |
| 1901 | |
| 1902 | May 15: New town hall, designed by Sir John Belcher, opened by the Earl of Rosebery |
| 1903 | |
| 1904 | July 28: Corporation Tramways begin operation (October 22) |
| 1905 | Mason's arclight works founded |
| 1906 | |
| 1907 | |
| 1908 | |
| 1909 | June 21-26: Colchester Pageant held in the castle grounds
Wood's engineering works founded |
| 1910 | |
| 1911 | |
| 1912 | St. Botolph's Priory ruins entrusted to the Commissioner of Works
Colchester Technical College opened |
| 1913 | |
| 1914 | |
| 1915 | February: German bomb drops in Butt Road |
| 1916 | German Zeppelin bombs the Hythe |
| 1917 | George V inspects troops |
| 1918 | Theatre Royal destroyed by fire |
| 1919 | War Memorial |
| 1920 | Castle purchased for the Borough by Viscount and Viscountess Cowdray |
| 1921 | |
| 1922 | Hollytrees bought for the Borough by the Cowdrays |
| 1923 | Roman mosaic found at Berryfield |
| 1924 | Lexden tumulus excavated |
| 1925 | |
| 1926 | |
| 1927 | |
| 1928 | January 6/7: The Hythe flooded by exceptionally high tide
April: Tombstone of Longinus found in Beverley Road East Bridge widened (1927) |
| 1929 | September 26: Hollytrees Museum opens |
| 1930 | Trams replaced by buses |
| 1931 | |
| 1932 | |
| 1933 | June 29: by-pass opened by Viscount Ullswater; more than 750 ornamental trees planted along Cymbeline Way, Colne Bank Avenue, Cowdray Avenue and St. Andrew's Avenue
August: Mumford's engineering works closes |
| 1934 | |
| 1935 | Castle re-roofed |
| 1936 | |
| 1937 | Queen Mary visits Colchester's museums |
| 1938 | Wood's builds new factory off Bergholt Road |
| 1939 | New public library completed in Shewell Road but commandered by the Manpower Board and Ministry of Food |
| 1940 | Police Station opens in Queen Street
August 19: First air raids on the town with "tip and run" attacks on Mile End and the Hythe September 1: Land mine completely destroys medieval church at Little Horkesley October: Australian troops arrive in Colchester |
| 1941 | |
| 1942 | August 11: Bombs hit Severalls Hospital, killing 38 patients
September 28: Bombs dropped in South Street and Essex Street; 8 people killed |
| 1943 | December 14: A 500lb bomb falls in castle bailey but fails to explode |
| 1944 | February 23: Incendiary raid starts fires at St. Botolph's Corner; Hollington's and Leaning's clothing factories, Griffin's furniture store, Blomfield's furniture and ironmongery shops destroyed
June: First V1 to hit Colchester lands in fields at Braiswick September 27: Cottages at Ardleigh hit by a V1 killing 4 people |
| 1945 | May: Colchester celebrates the allied victory in Europe
During the war 1,800 bombs had dropped on Colchester resulting in 54 dead, 100 injured, 50 houses destroyed and 1,750 damaged |
| 1946 | |
| 1947 | New library opened to the public |
| 1948 | |
| 1949 | |
| 1950 | |
| The History of Colchester : 1801-1850 : 1851-1900 :: 1951-2000 : 2001-2050 | |