BOMBS ON LONDON

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21366, 10 March 1941, Page 5

BOMBS ON LONDON

MANY PEOPLE KILLED WAVES OF RAIDERS TRAGEDY AT DANCE (United Press Assn. —ci«rc. ret. Copyright) LONDON, March 9 Thirty people are believed to have been killed and many seriously injured when a high explosive bomb from a German raider burst among j 150 dancers in a London restaurant. I Rescuers worked for three hours extricating those who had been buried in the debris. An eye-witness said that at one j moment the restaurant was thronged with a gay, care-free crowd of uniformed officers and their wives and friends. Then came a terrific explosion. The bomb came right through the building to the dance floor, which received the whole force of the explosion. Police, civilians, A.R.P. workers and soldiers celebrating Saturday night leave rushed to the wreckage and began to drag out girls in dancefrocks who were laid on the footpath till taken to hospital in ambulance or taxis. Women tore up handkerchiefs and even took pieces from their dresses to bind up the wounds of those more seriously injured. Soldiers used tneir field dressings. Nurses were summoned and worked heroically. Several bandsmen and members of the restaurant staff were killed. A number of well-known figures of London’s smart set were among the casualties. Swarms of Raiders Raiders in continuous waves swarmed up tne 'Thames Estuary and over the south-east coast for Hours. They gave the capital its most intense and longest visitation for two months. The anti-aircraft guns put up a heavy barrage, but the raiders swooped evasively. One dropped a whole load of bombs in its enort to escape the barrage. They demolished a number of houses and damaged others, but nobody was killed. Four bombs fell in adjoining streets and directly hit a police station and ambulance station, killing four policemen and injuring others. Fifteen ambulance workers had a remarkable escape. They had just left the canteen when two bombs sliced off the wall. They were badly shaken, but took out their ambulances and rescued policemen from the debris. An explosive bomb fell in a road and killed a number of pedestrians. Another killed a spotter on a roof and three people in the street below. Two bombs fell within 15 yards of each other in a roadway, causing huge craters. Showers of incendiary bombs and flares were dropped, but fire watchers were ready and promptly tackled the outbreaks. Machine-gunners shot down the flares. Raiders bombed a town on the south coast and also a south-east coast town, but with negligible results. One raider appeared to be badly damaged as it made its way homeward. Crashed Into Sea A Heinkel bomber crashed in the sea off the east coast of Scotland on Friday night after the aeroplane had one of its wings wrenched off in a collision with the mizzen mast of a trawler which it had bombed. Flying at about 100 feet the machine circled over the trawler. As it made a final sweep it struck the mast and the left wing was torn away. It was unable to gain height and turned over and crashed into the water, disappearing completely. The trawler’s crew was transferred to another vessel. Civilian Casualties Civilian casualties in air raids on Britain in February, according to a Ministry of Home Security statement, comprised 789 killed and 1068 injured. Those killed were 383 men, 312 vtfomen. 91 children under 16 and three unclassified. The injured comprised 598 men, 365 women and 105 children. The casualties were the lowest for the six months since the main German air offensive began. LAST DROP OF BLOOD LOYALTY OF NORWEGIANS RECEIVED BY KING HAAKON “ THE ENGLISH ARE HERE ” (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 8 Stirring scenes were witnessed when King Haakon received 300 Norwegians from the Lofoten Islands. Their leader declared: “We vow our last drop of blood for the cause for which all democracies are fighting. Thousands of Norwegians are hoping to get the same opportunity that came to us.” King Haakon said he had a feeling that the refugees would be able to return to Norway to liberate their country. Seven unmarried girls and one widow were among the Lofoten volunteers at King Haakon’s reception. Six are becoming nurses and two office assistants. One said she was in bed when she heard a shout, “The English are here,” and learned she had a chance to go to England. She said only bad girls had anything to do with German soldiers. There were occasional dances at first, but these were banned because accidents were likely to happen to the Germans. Norwegian youths cropped the hair of every girl dancing with Germans, until they were sent to gaol. President Roosevelt's emissary, Colored W. J. Donovan, lias gone to Dublin. He will lunch with the Prime Minister of Eire, Mr E. de Valera.