TORQUAY’S WORST RAID

Grey River Argus, 2 June 1943, Page 3

TORQUAY’S WORST RAID

Many Killed LONDON, May 31. Sunday School attendance registers were buried under the rubble of the ruined church, at. Torquay, making identification of the missing children difficult, but it is known that three teachers and 18 children were killed, and 14 children seriously and 10 slightly injured. It was the town’s worst raid. ..

Anxious parents were still waiting at the church gate, this evening, for news of their children, while rescue squads dug among the fallen masonry. Members of the Civil Defence units, digging in the ruins of workmen’s cottages found the body of a man, under whom his wife was still alive, with both legs broken. She was' conscious throughout the hour and a-haif it took to> extricate her, and was able to direct workers to a spot nearby where a boy aged 16 lay dead. >

The Director of Education for the town was among the many killed, lie was walking on the sea front with liis children when the planes came ever. He threw himself to the ground, protecting one child with his body. A cannon-shell killed him. but the child was only slightly injured in a foot.

It” is officially stated that two enemy aircraft were destroyed oc the East Anglian coast yesterday evening. During daylight, to-day, there was nothing' to report.