TWENTY DOWNED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 25, 9 November 1940, Page 5

TWENTY DOWNED

ENEMY PLANES OVER BRITAIN.

ONE SQUADRON GETS FIFTEEN. RAIDS ON SMALLER SCALE. \ .... . (United Press Association—Copyright ) (Received This Day, 12.5 p.ra.) LONDON,.November 8. Enemy air activity over Britain to 5 p.m. to-day was on a smaller scale, A few bombs were dropped by single aircraft (states the Air Ministry and Homo Security communique). at: a point on the west coast and in a country district in the Midlands. No damage or casualties were caused in these attacks. Formations of fighters .or fighter-bombers crossed the south-east coast on two occasions, Only a 'smaller number penetrated to the London area, where a few bombs were dropped. There was little damage and few casualties.

The Air Ministry announced at 9.10 p.m. that 20 enemy aircraft were then known to have been destroyed to-day. The communique continues: “A large number of dive-bombers with a strong lighter escort tried on several occasions to attack shipping off our cast and south-east coast. On each occasion they were heavily engaged by our fighters and ,15 of them were shot down by one squadron. Six of our aircraft are reported lost or missing, but the pilots of two of these are known to be safe.” —British Official Wireless.

CLEARING BOMBED AREAS.

WORK OF THE PIONEER CORPS.

LONDON, November 7. Brawny navvies are working shoulder to shoulder with clerks i'u spectacles day by day to clear away the debris caused by bombs dropped on London. A newspaper representative has had an opportunity of seeing in South London, the sterling work of these l men of the Pioneer Oorps, between the ages of 18 and 50, who are drawn from every walk of life.

A tour of several of the tvlorst bombed areas was .arranged to show the methodical stages of elharanee, from littered piles of debris to spick-and-span sites oil which neat piles ot bricks, timber, lead piping, and other materials aye stackedI—each 1 —each collection of piles presenting the salvageable remains of a house. . / "While these men of the Pioneer Corps who, as Mr Churchill recently said, are as much a parf, ,„-icf His Majesty’s forces as the-. King’s Company of Grenadier working to re.pfiii' -thi&-hightjy •damage London’s civilians. r ulsp.j)ia.y. their part. 1 1 one area a clergyman’s "wife; Airs Mackenzie, and her two daughters, aged seven; and 10, were providing to a, -.a he and biscuits, for the workers. “They have been doing this twice, a day for 10 days,” said the officer in charge. “It. must.he, because lam a Sctr.smah.”' How this voluntary canteen service, providing 100 cups of tea daily is possible was explained by. Mrs -Mackenzie. She; said slid had, laid ini a small stock of tea and sugar for personal use as advised by the Government before the bKtzkreigv'" A. fivagic sight during the tour was a bedstead hanging ' agairistvchiihiiey tops where sleeping women had-been thrown and killed. “This mud is like Flanders, isn’t, it?” said! one worker during a pause. Yet in a Very short space of time each site is clearc 1 ready for better rebuildng when! the might of the Royal Air Force has put an end to these nhuman. assaults on Londoners’ homes and lives. —British Official Wireless.