FEW BOMBS HEARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 99, 23 October 1940, Page 9

FEW BOMBS HEARD

CHANGE FOR LONDON

QUIETEST NIGHT FOR WEEKS

MIDLANDS SUFFER

(By Telegraph—Press Association— Copyright.) (Received October 23, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, October 22. For the first time for weeks manyLondoners did not hear a bomb last night. They were prepared for the worst in view of Berlin's nightmare on the previous night, but the enemy activity appeared to be even less than during the preceding daylight hours. Many raiders were driven off from the capital and bombed the Midlands and Merseyside. The damage in Liverpool was fairly slight in comparison with the weight of bombs dropped. It was the two hundredth raid the district Ms experienced. Some houses and shops were demolished. The casualties included a number of killed when a bomb exploded among a crowd leaving ; a cinema. \

One Midlands town suffered its worst raid for the third night in succession. A cinema, a hotel, an institution, three schools, and several shops were set on fire.

The enemy engaged in sneak raids on towns on the south-east coast this morning. One plane dived out of clouds and after dropping 30 bombs streaked for France. There were some casualties but only one was fatal.

The Air Ministry states that a number of persons were killed and injured and houses and industrial buildings damaged or set on fire in last night's air raids.

When a German bomber crashed in a country district in the south-west on the night of October 20 four members of the crew baled out. Three of them presented themselves at different farmhouses, and the other knocked up the woman occupant of a lonely bungalow, who directed him to the village. The German was unable to find the way, and slept in the shelter, of a haystack until morning, when he surrendered to road workers.

(British Official Wireless.) (Received October 23, 11.40 a.m.) RUGBY, October 22. The enemy attacks on Britain were^ continued at dusk last night. They were directed principally against the Midlands, London, and Merseyside. j Most of the attacks had ended by the early hours of the morning, although some intermittent activity continued for some time. An official communique states that in the Midlands the main attack was concentrated on one town where damage was done to dwellings and commercial buildings. Fires broke out but were quickly brought under control by the splendid work of the fire services. -A number of people were killed or injured.

In the London area damage was done to houses and business and industrial premises. Some people were billed or injured.

In Merseyside towns damage was caused mainly to houses. Fires resulted from Hie attack, but these were soon put out or brought under conIrol. There were some casualties, inctluding a few killed.

In a town in the north-east a large lumber of dwellings were damaged .md some people were injured.

In other towns in country districts of south-eastern England, the Midlands, and South Wales bombs did a small amount of damage. Casualties in these areas were slight, though a few were killed.

Early last night four bombs fell in one street in a London area where the defences were most active, appearing to hold off the majority of the raiders. High-explosive and incendiary bombs were dropped in Liverpool and other Merseyside towns. An empty stationary tram-car was blown to pieces. Incendiary bombs were also showered on three Midland counties. It is revealed that over a thousand incendiary bombs were dropped in one London district recently, BADLY DAMAGED IN RAID MIDDLE TEMPLE HALL HIGH-EXPLOSIVE BOMBS (Received October 23, 11.30 a.m.) LONDON, October 22. The Middle Temple Hall was considerably damaged in a recent raid on London. High-explosive bombs fell near the hall and a large hole was blown in a wall. Falling debris damaged the wonderful wood-carving of the interior of the hall. Many suites of offices were seriously damaged and one side of the clock tower was ripped out. A bomb also tore through the ceiling of the Inner Temple. The Middle Temple formerly had attached to it the Inns of Chancery known as New Inn and Strand Inn. The hall, with its magnificent roof, was erected during the treasurership of Plowden and is one of the finest pieces of Elizabethan architecture in London. The screen, of dark oak, is richly carved. The hall contain.: busts and portraits of celebrities and the windows and walls are decorated with the arms of the members of the Inn. One of the most interesting associations of the Middle Temple Hall is the first performance there of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night." Many English dramatists have been associated with the Middle Temple, chief among them Ford, Rowe, Congreve,' Shadwell, and Sheridan. The library is a handsome modern building near the river and has 500,000 books and manuscripts. It was founded in 1641 by Robert Ashley.

The Inner Temple is an Inn of Court and once had three Inns attached to it. Much of the building was destroyed in the Great Fire, but the gate-house remains. The cloisters were' built from a design by Wren. The name "Temple" comes from the Knights Templar, who had a house there as early as the twelfth century.