LONDON BOMBING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 61, Issue 43, 30 November 1940, Page 2

LONDON BOMBING

BUSINESS MAN’S EXPERIENCE.

DAMAGE CAUSED AT HOME. \ The following extract from a London businessman’s letter to a friend in Ashburton gives a vivid account of conditions in the City. In explanation of delay in executing orders the writer says: “At 5 a.m. on Saturday morning, September 21, while it was still quite dark, a land-mine suspended by a parachute came drifting down from one of the many German planes, atid exploded just over the fence in a sports ground immediately opposite our home at the back, and quite close to our air raid, shelter at the bottom of the garden. My wife and I fortunately were in the shelter when it happened although only a short time before we had been up to the house during a quiet period to make tea. Wo had just placed the tray witli empty cups and saucers on the top step of the shelter and settled down again, when a terrific explosion smashed all on the tray completely, extinguished our light and filled the shelter including our mouths with grit and dust.

“The gunfire became deafening, and when it ceased we discovei’ed our home destroyed, roof all off, ceilings through upstairs and down, doors and windows blown right out hack and front, and heaps of debris on the floors in every room. The house is entirely uninhabitable.

“Houses were wrecked all round, aixd windows smashed for half a mile each way. We had no sooner viewed the wreckage in the lawn, when the police came and ordered us all out of the district at once, as another unexploded land-mine was lodged in a tree in a garden at the front only about fifty yards away. We made our way to father’s about three-quarters of a mile away, and were not allowed hack to our house by the authorities until 5 p.m. the same day, just after this mine had been removed, whexi we managed to get away a few valuables. We now are more or less refugees at father’s. Many bad nowhere to go and had to take temporary refuge at places such as schools. However, we are quite safe and sound, although in the' midst of great confusion. “An unexploded time bomb of large size landed right in front of my office and embedded itself deeply in the ground on the night of October 1, and now I cannot reach the office at all, pending its discharge or removal, apparently an eight or nine days job, but as soon as it is possible to get back, all matters outstanding there will be cleared up, meantime we are carrying on as best as possible i.e. if the office survives.

“We have had many exciting experiences with both incendiary and high explosive bombs, and raids are in perpetual operation in the home district as well as the City at night and frequently in the clay. Several fire bombs fell but a few yards from our shelter from time to time and only last night about 200 were just round about ’the house. For a month we have been confined all night long every night without exception in the shelter for anything from eight to 10 hours at a stretch with constant relays of raiding planes, so you can imagine our difficulties. But to tell you all would he impossible in a letter. ,