ENEMY AIR RAIDS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 31 October 1939, Page 5

ENEMY AIR RAIDS

ALONG BRITISH EAST COAST FROM KENT TO THE FIRTH OF FORTH. PLANES SEEN FLYING LOW. By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright. LONDON, October 30. When air raid alarms were sounded this' morning two planes were seen passing over a town in North-East England at 9 o’clock. Machinegun firing was heard. An air raid warning was sounded in a town in Kent and the “all-clear” was given 10 minutes later. Warnings were sounded in three other towns in South-East England and were shortly followed by the allclear signal. Three thousand children were evacuated from the schools in orderly fashion. The planes were hidden by low clouds. Gunfire was heard at the head of the English Channel during the air raid warnings. People in a North-East town going about their business were astonished to see two planes flying low overhead. One opened machine-gun fire while the people watched from the streets. Air raid wardens at the Ministry of Information ordered the personnel to take cover. A few journalists carried on their work. Warnings were also sounded erroneously in the Holborn and Westminster areas. The air raid warnin'gs were given between Kent and the Firth of Forth, a radio message states. In one of the towns a raider was seen flying so low that it almost touched some telegraph wires. Warnings were also sounded in the Firth of Forth area, and “all clear” was sounded half an hour later.