THE RAIDS ON ENGLAND.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 October 1917, Page 4

THE RAIDS ON ENGLAND.

A GRAPHIC DESCRIPTION.

A lad}’ correspondent in London writing to a friend in Ross on July 9th says:— Your letter only reached me last Friday 6th and next morning we had that very dreadful Taube raid. I myself counted 17 Taubes but we are told there were from 20 to 22. No doubt your brother wrote and told you he was awaiting my arrival home when he had the experience ot an air raid over London, 13th June. He was in our Park and saw the Taubes overhead. He waited over three hours for me, as, instead of returning direct from business I went right through the devastated localities and saw with my own eyes the dreadful work of the enemy. The board school where the poor children were killed (pQor dears, they were the colour of saffron) no one who saw the two tiny holes in the roof could believe the awful destruction inside. 111 tact your hand could span the hole across, then the width of a tile between there was - another hole not quite so large and as neatly cut as if by a hand instead ol an aerial torpedo. Not many yards from the school there were several shops and houses demolished (that was at the corner of Salmon Lane Limehouse) or as it is called here in London “ China Town.”

Alas, the destruction caused during that raid was as nothing in comparison to the terrible destruction and death roll of Saturday’s raiders. I was in the roadway watching one of the most wonderful, yet awe inspiring sights imaginable “ an air fight” between Taubes and our own craft which* were too numerous to count. One of our boys attacked the Taubes like a will o’ the wisp, darting in and out and through the enemy machines like a flash. For a few minutes I stood breathless expecting to see a big collision, and air cratt come toppling down on us. but no such thing happened. We could hear the machine guns rattling, then the terrible nerve racking sound of exploding bombs and the reports of our anti air craft guns all mingling with the screaming ol terrified children and terrified mothers calling the names of one or other of their little ones who had either gone an errand or been out playing and wandered'beyotul sight.

I somehow had the feeling of entire safety and stood fascinated by the sight overhead. It is beyond verbal description. After the raiders turned and fled I myself was surprised to find hundreds of people beside me all with the same look of astonishment to learn hardly quarter of rpi hour had passed from the time we spotted the enemy calmly sailing towards us.

But short and all as the time was their dreadful mission was disastrous for 11s. . The city has. been terribly bombed and the death roll is not yet complete, but our papers suppress the real number of casual • ties. One bomb fell in the Billingsgate Market demolishing “ The Bell ” (a big public house). Had it been about 100 yards or just say the other side of the street it would have demolished the Fishmongers Hall which is now temporarily used as a Red Gross hospital and full of Colonial wounded. Another bomb fell in Tower Hill facing the Tower of London and just a stones throw from the Royal Mint, and Tower Bridge. In the city itself it beggars description. Street after street has been bombed, buildings demolished, vans, horses, cyclists and people who will never be heard of again. On Tower Hill three horses were blown to pieces. Over our way we were not quite so bad. One air torpedo fell at the top of our street but did not explode. One more fell on a small archwaj’ here and went clean through it, burying itself in the roadway and killing about one dozen and half of people who had rushed there for safety. Still another one which did not explode fell in Hereford Place (a back street running parallel with New Cross Station. Tint is the line I used daily during business to and from the bank.) and Frederick Place, Plumstead, is completely a. wreck, and heaps of other places which I have not yet had time to visit, so therefore cannot tell you about as I like to verify what I write.

Our Park was a sight, hundreds of men, women and children rushed into and threw themselves faces down on the grass and for all the world it gave one the impression of a huge flock of sheep laying at rest. In trying to give you an idea of the city raid, I omitted to tell you that the whole of the G.P.O. telegraphic system was destroyed and the building burned for a considerable time. There were numerous other big buildings burned out. One was in a big drapery business in St Paul Churchyard (St Paul’s itself stands in the centre of the churchyard and surrounding it there are various business premises on one side, and huge offices on the other), the great Cathedral itself being a most imposing centre piece and directly opposite it the G.P.O. in Newgate Street. A proper miracle happened at a firm called “ Hess ” in Golden Lane. The large number employed had just finished “ raid drill ” when the first bomb dropped, so they were calmly marched down to the basement again and none too soon, for another boml) came down which completely crashed the whole front of the building in ruins. All the hands escaped Scott free, except three elderly men who happened to be too slow in their movements. However, they fortunately were only slightly injured. My brother-in-law had a narrow escape. He is foreman at Lloyds in Red Cross Street and he and some of his workers were smothered in dust and debris caused through the explosion of another bomb.

His second son is a dentist and a bomb went right through his place. His wife’s sister is ill at the London Lying-in Hospital and the building alongside her was bombed and set on fire, so you can soon tell bow !' get such accurate information. A neighbour mentioned the name of a firm who had a terrible death roll, six only being left out of 300 workers. I will get the name of that firm. Meantime, my sister-in-law cannot quite remember it but I won’t forget to find out what truth there is in the statement. Meantime, I mention it only i n “ reserve.” I am continually hearing further tales of horror from people who have actually seen things with tlieir own eyes. I never believe rumour, but I listen and then visit tlie place myself and see, which is much the better plan as some of the rumours are too dreadful.

Last night Zepps tried to visit us and this morning about nine to eleven Taubes once more were sighted and turned back at Ramsgate. Qh, I quite expect we shall have several, weeks of them now unless we give reprisals and why not. It is useless to consider Germans as humans. Therefore we must cither claim an eye for an eye or lie quite brow-beaten. Let us bomb German towns and then we shall be left alone.