NIGHT BOMBING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 October 1940, Page 5

NIGHT BOMBING

GALLANT RESCUE WORK IN LONDON THREE FIRE FIGHTERS KILLED. AIR MINISTRY REPORT. (By Telegraph—Press Association —Copyright) LONDON, October 18. Night raiders rendered many more London homes uninhabitable although many districts experienced long lulls. A bomb destroyed a group of four houses, burying the occupants. Five bombs in another area hit a block of flats and adjoining houses. Three high explosives and several incendiaries smashed more houses and a water main, causing casualties. At least three members of the A.F.S. were killed when a bomb crashed in the messroom of a fire station in the London area. Rescuers worked” despite other bombs falling in the vicinity, extricating the injured from the wreckage. A high explosive bomb hit a hospital annexe in the Liverpool district but there were no casualties. An Air Ministry communique says: “Many parts of London and the suburban areas were hit in last night’s raids. The total damage to them and industrial buildings was not severe and the casualties were not large. “Reports from other parts of the country indicate that the casualties were small. “Four enemy planes were destroyed during yesterdays’ attacks. Three of our fighters were lost.” BRITISH BOMBING CANCELLATION OF NIGHT PROGRAMME. ON ACCOUNT OF BAD WEATHER. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 9.55 a.m.) RUGBY, October 18. “Owing to unfavourable weather conditions last night, all our bomber operations were cancelled,” states an Air Ministry communique. GUNS IN ACTION FROM BOTH SIDES OF STRAITS OF DOVER. (Received This Day, 10.40 a.m.) LONDON, October 18. In weather unfavourable for air activity, long-range guns on both sides of the Straits of Dover, went into action today, through a blanket of mist. YESTERDAY’S RAIDS BOMBING IN ONLY A FEW AREAS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.25 a.m.) RUGBY, October 18. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique states: “The only raids on this country during today have been made by a very small number of single aircraft. Bombs were dropped at one place in South-East Scotland during the morning, and at a few places in South-East England during the afternoon. In one town in Hampshire a few houses were damaged and there were some casualties. Elsewhere little damage and few casualties were caused.”