BRISTOL BOMBED

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21373, 18 March 1941, Page 5

BRISTOL BOMBED

SERIOUS DAMAGE DONE PUBLIC SHELTER HIT VICAR’S HEROIC WORK (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 18, 11.55 a.m.) LONDON, March 17 German bombers heavily attacked Bristol last night and inflicted serious damage. The raid started in a deceptively quiet manner, but the dropping of fire and explosive bombs steadily increased. Most of the fatalities are believed to have occurred when a public shelter containing 100 people was hit directly. The majority escaped. A vicar, who was also a warden, worked heroically when" a bomb penetrated the roof of a church and exploded in the crypt, where many people were sheltering, killing or injuring several. A married couple and three young children, with the wife’s sister and mother, were all in a basement when their house was hit by a bomb. The husband and baby were killed. The wife was trapped under a pile of debris, and a doctor sat at her side throughout the night administering morphia until she was freed. A newspaper office suffered severely from a blast, but the paper was published as usual. The inhabitants today are busy cleaning up, and are as cheerful as ever, but are not disguising the fact that the raid was serious. A German communique claims that in addition to Bristol the Avonmouth harbour establishments at Portsmouth were hit by heavy bombs. Little Daylight Activity An official communique states: There was little enemy daylight activity over Britain today. No bombs are reported to have been dropped. One enemy aircraft is known to have been destroyed last night. NATIONAL SERVICE EVERY MAN AND WOMAN COMPULSORY REGISTRATION (United Press Assn.—Elec. Tel. Copyright* (Received March 18, 1 p.m.) LONDON, March 17 A scheme of compulsory registration for war work may be applied :to every man over 40 and every woman over 19. No upper age limit has been fixed. The Minister of Labour, Mr Bevan, made this clear in further outlining his plans for the complete mobilisation of the nation's man and woman power. Men aged 41 and 42, Mr Bevin said would register on April 19. The registration in these first groups would be universal, though compulsion would not be applied in the case of mothers with young children or heavy domestic responsibilities. After the first registration the Minister may proceed by calling up either other age groups of men or women, or both, throughout the country, or the whole age group in any particular region. All the women will, “as far as is compatible with national interest,” be given a choice of occupation. 1 NORWEGIAN SCHOOLS GERMAN TO BE TAUGHT SUBSTITUTE FOR ENGLISH (United Press Assn. —Klee. Tel. Copyright) (Received March 18, 11 a.m.) COPENHAGEN, March 17 The radio says that the Germans have substituted German as the second language to be taught in the elementary schools of Norway. Hitherto the second language had been English. SUBMARINE OVERDUE PRESUMED TO BE LOST (United Press .*ssn--Elec. Tel. Copyright) LONDON, March 17 It is announced by the Admiralty that the submarine Snapper is overdue and must be considered lost. This submarine accounted for four enemy ships early in the war and sank five moreen July last year.