HARROWING SCENES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 251, 20 September 1940, Page 8

HARROWING SCENES

SUFFERING CIVILIANS.

FAMO.US EDIFICES STRUCK

(United Press Association— Copyright.) (llcc. 12.10 p.m.) LONDON, Sept. 19. The daily occurrence of people spomliny; the day waiting for release ironi hencath the debris of razed buildings has been repeated in several districts. The man rescued from a buried automobile in a AA’est End garage caihci this week died in hospital. Twenty-five hours after a bomb wrecked a shop rescuers heard faint baby cries. It was a four-months-old child lying in a drawer. The parents and grandmother had been killed. Scores clad in their night, attire extinguished a series of fires which a “Molotov, breadbasket” (clusters of incendiary bombs) bad started in a northern residential aren. The heaviest casualties resulted from an enormous explosion following the crashing ol a raider fully loaded with bombs. Numbers of buildings were demolished. A rescue party was struggling all night to release persons imprisoned underground when a wall collapsed.

The Inner Temple Library, the Public Record Office, the British Museum courtyard, the Wallace Collection courtyard and Peter Robinson’s store are among the latest landmarks to be bombed. The majority of treasures, including the- Doomsday Book, housed in the Public Records Office, also in the Museums, had been removed to safety after the outbreak of war. A bomb in a suburb destroyed _ a Methodist church and five adjoining houses. CHELSEA HOSPITAL lIIT. The County Hall, headquarters M the London County Council, was hit by a' bomb. The hall’s fabric was damaged, but the civil defence and other services are being maintained unimpaired. A bomb caused a 30ft crater on the terrace nearest Westminster Bridge. Two waitresses were killed and there were a dozen casualties. Lord Croft states that many incendiaries have fallen on the Royal Hospital at Chelsea. There are no casualties. and the buildings are not damaged. The directors of the Bank of England held a general court in the bank vaults. The Governor (Mr Montague Norman) announcing a dividend of 6 per cent., said precautions had been taken to ensure that business was carried on in all emergencies. Their Majesties toured the badly bombed London areas, including Chelsea and Fulham, and talked with A.R.P. workers and survivors of the bombing. Cheering crowds surged around them.

A time bomb exploded 80yds from an automobile in which the Duke of Kent was touring bombed areas. A shower of rubble rained on the car. SCATTERED ACTIVITY.

An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states that no large-scale air action has been reported during the day. Two enemy aircraft dropped bombs in districts in South-East London, causing some damage and casualties. Both were engaged by our fighters and one was shot down.

Bombs are also reported from coastal areas in Essex and Sussex, and at one point in the west of England. The number of casualties was small.

In spite of bad visibility our fighters successfully intercepted a large proportion of the enemy and five enemy bombers in all have been destroyed.