REACTION TO AIR RAID

Evening Star, Issue 24282, 25 August 1942, Page 2

REACTION TO AIR RAID

COVENTRY BOY IN DUHEDiK

Same details of the great Nazi blitz on Coventry in .November, 1940, were related this morning by a fifteeu-year-old lad, Tommy Hester, who was living in the English city at the time and is now in New Zealand. Ho dropped into tho ‘ Star ’ office this morning, full of tho self-confidence which so obviously stood him in good stead at tho time of the Luftwaffe's attack, and which seems to typify the spirit of the people of England. _ He experienced four raids on Coventry in all, but the others were negligible compared with tho great bombing when the Hermans dropped all they bad in tho shape of high explosives, incendiaries, and land mines. Tommy, who lived in Coventry with his aunt, sisters, and brothers (his father had joined up two days before war was declared! bad been to a new cinema, just opened, and was walking homo when tho raid started. That was actually his first experience of bombs dropping, but bo was more interested than afraid, and, like most people, bo expected that the raid would be brief. Tho effect of tho bombs bo described as a, “ bit deafening on the ears,” but otherwise he was not concerned. By the time he reached home the raid had increased in intensity, and tho family took shelter under the stairs, where they remained all night while for 12 hours bombs rained , down and Hie city’s defences roared out their defiance. Tommy stated that none of the family was really seared, but they all had made up their minds not to go to a shelter because they had hoard of shelters seemingly being picked out as targets. They decided to take their chance in the house. One incendiary fell through the roof, “ but wo put that out with sand. A lot also fell in tho garden, and we put those out, too. AVe bad all our windows broken by concussion, but there wasn’t a bouse in Coventry that escaped that form of damage.” There was no “ all clear ” when tho raid was over, for the apparatus had been destroyed. Tho city itself was very badly damaged, particularly the shopping area, and the cinema he had attended had been hit. Mobile tents, with food and first aid, appeared from outlying districts ns if by magic, and the very next day the work of clearing up began. A certain amount of looting took place', but those who wore caught wore “ shoved into clink.” For his part ho found it hard to believe the damage that had resulted, and ho was one or the many who climbed the tower of Coventry Cathedral to overlook the blitzed city. From there a true impression of the damage could be seen, for manv buildings of which tho walls were still standing looked all right until their gutted interiors could bo seen from above. Tommy’s family wore evacuated from Coventry immediately following the raid, but they returned a few days later. By then “ business as usual ” was the motto of many places, some stock having been recovered from the debris. Temporary repairs had been effected, making it possible for business to bo conducted; factories were resuming, and everyone was back at work 14 days after the raid; and picture theatres were reopened. Of the smaller raids which followed Tommy expressed a certain amount of contempt. “ AA’c just slept through them,” bo said, “ but sometimes a bomb bursting near woke us up.” He was very casual about it. Some mouths ago bo obtained a position as deck band on a cargcf steamer ami worked bis passage to New Zealand, arriving at Bluff four months ago.. He bus been working there since, and has so far enjoyed bis stay ill New Zealand, where lie says things are nice and peaceful and there is plenty to eat. At the same time bo would like to return to England and has visions of joining the Royal Navy as soon as be is old enough. He has already served in the Royal Naval Cadets. He declared that Britain would win the waij. and with an amusing conviction said it would probably be over next year. In England they had learned to “ take it,” and now they were beginning to give it back—and when it was given back there would be no half-measures about it.