THREE GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY DEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 245, 15 October 1940, Page 7

THREE GENERATIONS OF ONE FAMILY DEAD.

TOLL OF RAIDS.

Bombs On Public House And

Operating Theatre.

Unitcil Press Association.—Copyright. (Reed. 11.30 a.m.) LONDON". Oct. 14. The mayor and the npyorcss were trapped under debris when a southeastern town was bombed in raids by German planes last night. Kcscue squads early this morning extricated the bodies of the luavor and mayoress. Later they recovered the bodies of tlieir eldest son and their granddaughter, aged four. Another granddaughter was taken to hospital but died. A daughter-in-law, two other women and a maid were taken to hospital seriously injured. The terrific anti-aircraft barrage was so successful against raiders in Liverpool and tho surrounding district last night and early thia morning that only the last raiJcr was able to come comparatively low. It loosed bombs indiscriminately and hit two ends of a large block of tenements, causing casualties, including some children. Others shattered houses in working-class street*. One heavy calibre bomb demolished two four-storey houses. Coloured Man's Fortitude. An elderly coloured man was rescued from a cellar after Uirco hours. He told the workers where to search for his wife. liven hardened A.R.I*. members cheered his fortitude a«s he was removed oil a stretcher. A number, including children, are believed to be buried in the ruins of adjoining houses.

The raiders visited n north-west town. Casualties were small, and very few of them fat«l there. Gas Hampers Rescue Work. A London public house was bombed last night, and the majority of those killed and injured were in the publicbar. Rescuers were hampered by escaping gas, but worked all night extricating victims. An oil bomb destroyed part* of a hospital, Including the o|>crating theatre. Tho staff put out the flames. The patients were all evacuated. To-day an explosive bomb falling in the grounds of the same hospital demolished three houses, the occu|>ants of which were sheltering, and were not injured. A bomb striking the middle of a block of flats killed a ni.mber of tenants sheltering in the basement, on which tons of debris crashed down. Flats on either side were cut in half. Mobile cranes were used in recovering bodies. Bombs hit u row of cottages in the home counties area. Two |>eople were killed and 13 injured. A Salvation Army citadel in the London area was wrecked last night. Convent Among Places Bombed. Blocks of flats, tenements, communal shelters and a convent were among the places bombed last night and early this morning in 30 London districts, and 20 provincial areas. The Air Ministry states that enemy attacks yesterday and last uight were on a somewhat larger scale. Damage was caused to residentisl, commercial and industrial buildings, and it is feared that the number of killed and injured is somewhat larger than in recent night attacks. Many of the casualties were caused when a block of flats was hit. Buildings were destroyed in Merscyside towns and there was - considerable daniaga to a north-eastern town. Many houses were wrecked, and direct hits levelled two surface shelters. , Those killed included a soldier whose body was across a dead child, whom apparently he sought to protect. One family lost a father and two sons. The mother of another family was detained in hospital. Two of her four children are dead.