During the Second World War the government was apparently concerned that the Germans might target Vauxhall Bridge and so a temporary bridge known as Millbank Bridge was built 200 yards downstream by the Tate Museum.
Millbank Bridge was built of steel girders supported by wooden stakes; however, despite its flimsy appearance it was a sturdy structure, capable of supporting tanks and other heavy military equipment. In the event, Vauxhall Bridge survived the war undamaged, and in 1948 Millbank Bridge was dismantled. Its girders were shipped to Northern Rhodesia and used to span a tributary of the Zambezi.