BOMB DAMAGE

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 246, 14 September 1940, Page 8

BOMB DAMAGE

HOUSE OF LORDS STRUCK

N.Z. HOUSE REOCCUPIED

(United Press Association.—Copyright.) (British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 1.13. p.m.) RUGBY. Sept. 13. New Zealand House, in the Strand, which was evacuated owing to a time honib falling in the vicinity, lias been reoceupied. The sirenS sounded in London for the fourth time at 9.10 this evening.

Among the notable buildings damaged by Nazi bombs in recent raids is the House of Lords. An incendiary Ixnnb struck the House of Lords, but the damage was slight and the bomb was quickly extinguished.

GERMANS BOMB GERMANS

FIRE SERVICES PRAISED

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 1.20 p.m ) RUGBY, Sept. 13. Wounded German pilots in a hospital ship in a south-east town were among the many to have a fortunate escape when the hospital was Ixnnbed from about 5000 ft bv a single raider on Thursday afternoon. Twenty-three other people in the rest of the. town were less fortunate. Five were killed and 18 injured. The Home Secretary (Sir John Anderson) has sent the following message to the fire authorities in England and Wales:

“All sections of the civil defence services have responded so magnificently to the calls made upon them that it might seem invidious to draw distinctions, hut I am sure no one would begrudge a word of special commendation that I feel moved to send to members of the fire services, regular and auxiliary. Their work, fraught with great danger in itself, has been often rendered hazardous in the extreme by sustained and repeated enemy attack hv bomb and machinegun. Nowhere has there been any flinching. Again and again, with dauntless courage and at the price of many casualties, a lire that might well have engulfed a whole district has been brought under control. Further and greater trials may be ahead, but I am confident that in meeting them the fire services will only add lustre to their already brilliant achievements.”

HAIL OF SHELLFIRE.

PLANE’S NARROW ESCAPE

(British Official Wireless.) (Rec. 12.35 p.m.) RUGBT, Sept. 13. The pilot of an aircraft which last night dived down to nearly ground level over the Flushing dockyard in the face of intense anti-aircraft fire and dropped his bombs said, describing the exploit: “We were fairly low when they opened up. I had never seen anything like it. There was so much of it. 1 put down the nose and hoped for the best. Searchlights were holding us all the time. I just kept my eyes on the instruments and on the docks. If one had looked round one would have been blinded. As we went over, the bomb aimer made certain that all our bombs had gone. We dropped them and they landed right in the centre of the dock buildings. Immediately we were thrown to 600 ft, , . “There were tremendous explosions, the second pilot, who was standing beside me, being knocked off his f eot. I was just concentrating on trying to keep the aircraft in the air and get away. There was a curtain of fire on all sides. We went through. Ships in the harbour also opened fire on the aircraft with heavy quickfiring guns as well as a lighter type of anti-aircraft guns. The pilot sent out an S.O.S. saying he was likely to bo coming down, but he was attempting to get home. Flying very low over the sea, he managed to bring the aircraft back, and made a safe landing at his base.

ENEMY REPORT

BOMBING IN ENGLAND

(Rec. 12.45 p.ni.) BERLIN,' Sept. 13. A communique states: “British planes flying over Germany during the night failed to reach their targets. They dropped a few bombs on residential quarters, also a village, causing little material damage. , “Armed reconnaisseurs bombed industrial plants in London, Bexhill, Brighton and Banbury, also other places, and seriously damaged an 8000ton merchantman south-westward of the Isle of Man. Bombers attacked harbour facilities in London and Liverpool last night, causing fresh fires and explosions. They again bombed other British harbours and destroyed one enemy plane. One of ours is miesing. Light enemy naval forces attempted to bombard the harbour at Boulogne on Wednesday night. “A U-boat sank six armed merchantmen totalling 37,600 tons including the 7000-ton liner already reported to have been destroyed.”

ATTACK ON KING.

MESSAGE FROM CANADA

(Rec. 1.35 p.m.) OTTAWA, Sept. 13. The Premier (Mr Mackenzie King) lias cabled the King as follows: “My * colleagues and I join wit'll the people of Canada in expressing heartfelt gratitude to Providence, for the preservation of Tour Majesties’ lives. No enemy act could have served more completely to stir the heart in every part of * the British Commonwealth than the one so clearlv designed to destroy the lives of the King and Queen.”

DOMINION’S SYMPATHY

MESSAGE TO KING

Per Press Association. AVFLLINGTON, Sept. 14. Lord Galway has sent the following message to the King in connection with the bombing of Buckingham Palace : “The Government and people of New Zealand join me in tendering to Your Majesty and the Queen most sincere congratulations on having escaped injury in yesterday’s air attack on Buckingham Palace. All in this Dominion continue to pray during these critical days for Your Majesties’ safety and wellbeing. “The indomitable spirit of the people of London during the recent raids has been the admiration of all, and yesterday’s attempt on Tour Majesty’s life will but serve to .strengthen the nation’s loyalty to Your Majesty and the Throne, and knit still more closely thosq ties which bind the Mother Country and the Dominions overseas.”