MANY BOMBS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 7 January 1941, Page 5

MANY BOMBS

BUT NO FIRES STARTED — SPLENDID WORK OF WATCHERS IN LONDON. WOMEN AND BOYS HELP MEN. ] 'By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright' LONDON. January 6. Fire-watchers, consisting of men. women and boys. extinguished hundreds of incendiaries dropped by two waves of bombers over London last night. Not a single fire was started. The fire-watchers stood in doorways j singing: "We want some more." They ' had not long to wait. A third wave of I aircraft dropped more fire-bombs and these were also dealt with, speedily. An Air Ministry communique reports I raids in the London area, in Kent and j m Eastern counties. Some damage was ] done to houses and shops and a small | .'lumber of people were killed. There • were two daylight alerts in London ; yesterday and bombs fell at throe places. Early yesterday afternoon an enemy plane dived under the clouds and fired several bursts of machinegun fire at a passenger train. None of the passengers was hurt and the train I was not damaged. I NIGHT & DAY RAIDS I — FIRES QUICKLY PUT OUT. NUMBER OF CASUALTIES NOT VERY LARGE. (British OfTtcial Wireless.) (Received This Day. 9.50 a.mJ RUGBY. January 6. Although hundreds of incendiary bombs were showered by enemy planes on three districts of the capital, after the alert had been sounded last night London's new fire watchers, augmented by voluntary workers, performed their duties so effectively that all but a very few of the bombs were] put out before they could start a fire. A R P. officials pay warm tributes to the work of men and women patrolling the areas. In one district all the incendiaries dropped by two waves of raiders were extinguished without a] single fire being caused. In another i district, where fires were caused fire! brigades were promptly on the spot and i dealt with the outbreak before they got a hold. An Air Ministry and Ministry of Home Security communique says: “Enemy aircraft attacked London during the night, but the raids, which ended before midnight, were not on a heavy scale Fires were started at several points, but were so promptly dealt with that none of them assumed serious proportions. Many buildings were damaged, and some persons were killed and other injured but, from the reports so far received, it doos not appear that casualties are likely to be heavy.

"From outside the London area no serious damage and few casualties have been reported.” Enemy planes attempting to reach London during a short alert this morning were turned back. Bombs were dropped in three London districts during a second daylight alert. At least two persons were killed, and a number injured.

High explosive bombs demolished a number of houses in the London area last night. Thirteen people were trapped and five bodies have been recovered.