BOMB HAVOC

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1940, Page 5

BOMB HAVOC

IN LONDON & LIVERPOOL SOME LARGE H.OUSES DEMOLISHED. CASUALTIES IN A NUMBER OF AREAS. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 9.5 a.m.) LONDON, October 14. As a result of raids during the night, rescue squads early this morning extricated the bodies of the Mayor and Mayoress of a south-eastern town, who had been trapped under debris when the town was bombed, and later recovered the bodies of their eldest son and of a grand-daughter, aged four. Another grand-daughter was sent to hospital, where she died, and a daugh-ter-in-law, two other women and a maid were sent to hospital, seriously injured. A terrific anti-aircraft barrage was so successful against raiders in Liverpool and its district last night and early this morning that only a last raider was able to come comparatively low. It loosed bombs indiscriminately and hit two ends of a large block of tenements, causing casualties, including some children. Other bombs shattered houses in working-class streets and one, of heavy calibre, demolished two four-storey houses. An elderly coloured man, who was rescued from a cellar, after being confined for three hours, told workers where to search for his wife, and even the hardened members of the A.R.P. cheered his fortitude as he was removed on a stretcher. A number of people, including children, are believed to have been buried in the ruins of adjoining houses. A block of flats, tenements, communal shelters and a convent were among the places bombed last night and early this morning in thirty-six London districts and twenty provincial areas. The raiders came in relays in the early morning, one machine-gunning the streets of a London district. A trolley bus was wrecked while the passengers .and the driver were taking shelter. Two bombs wrecked four blocks of flats in one London area. One hit a shelter, where two persons were killed and a number injured. Three bombs demolished a number of work-ing-class houses and small shops and hit an Anderson shelter. It is feared that there were some casualties. Residents Of an outlying district reported that sixteen bombs were dropped in less than a minute. Slight damage was done to houses. QUICK RETRIBUTION ENEMY PLANE BLOWN TO PIECES AFTER MACHINE-GUNNING CIVILIANS. EFFECTIVE ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.25 a.m.) RUGBY, -October 14. “Swift punishment met an enemy bomber which dropped out of the clouds over a South Coast town one evening recently and machine-gunned civilians,” says the Air Ministry News Service. “The firing was entirely indiscriminate as nothing was in the view of the pilot of the aircraft except civilians, shops and small houses. He was flying at a height of about 500 feet. After this attack the enemy machine turned and flew in the direction of the next seaside town, but some distance outside this second town was a searchlight post and, on the approach of the enemy, the ground defences opened up with light anti-aircraft fire. The firing was immediately effective and the raider dived straight for the ground. One of its bombs exploded on the crash and the aircraft was blown to pieces. Nothing recognisable of the crew was found, only one tattered German Air Force paybook and an identity disc were picked up from the wreckage.” FEW CASUALTIES AND LITTLE SERIOUS DAMAGE. IN YESTERDAY’S GERMAN RAIDS ON BRITAIN. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 10.47 a.m.) RUGBY, October 14. A communique issued by the Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security states that enemy activity over Britain has been on a comparatively small scale today, being confined to a series of attacks by single aircraft, which dropped a few bombs at a number of points in South England and • the Midlands. Reports received up to five p.m. J 8.5. T., indicate that casualties have - been few, but a small number of per- ] sons have been killed. Some houses * and shops were damaged in one town 1 in Kent. Elsewhere the damage- has ( been slight. I