RAIDS OVER BRITAIN

Greymouth Evening Star, 8 June 1940, Page 7

RAIDS OVER BRITAIN

FROM NORTH TO SOUTH

SIX PEOPLE INJURED

[by CABLE —PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.]

LONDON, June 7.

Britain had the biggest night of air raid warnings since the outbreak of war, far more widespread than on the previous night, covering areas as far apart as the counties of Durham and Hampshire. The warnings ranged from 40 minutes to more than three hours. Raids are also reported from parts of Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire. Norfolk, Kent and Sussex.

The bombs dropped in Lincolnshire were of light calibre, and fell on roofs and outbuildings. Six persons were injured, three of whom were admitted to hospital. Royal Air Force fighters were active over the Channel during the greater part of the south coast alarm. A north-east coast town heard aeroplanes, but no bombs were dropped. An aeroplane flying over a southern county dropped flares. Searchlights were active in Norfolk and Suffolk, where many flares were seen. Many other bombs fell in open country. Some were probably directed at aerodromes. FURTHER ALARMS. (Received June 8, 9 a.m.) LONDON, June 7. An early morning raid over Surrey lasted half an hour, but there was no firing. Huntingdonshire also had its first warning. It is not known whether there was any damage, or if gunfire was heard. Eleven counties had warnings during the night. AIRMAN KILLED. .RUGBY, June 7. An Air , Ministry communique states: Further reports of last night’s raids on England show that at one Royal Air Force aerodrome, bombs were dropped on a flare path, killing one airman. Elsewhere, the attacks were ineffective. INSTRUCTION AND GRANTS LONDON, June 7. The Ministry of Home l Security announced that Britain would become a huge classroom .for mass instruction in air-raid precautions. Local authorities throughout the country hadi taken over halls and arranged meetings where the public could learn how to deal with faulty gas-masks and protect themselves and their homes and families from incendiary bombs and. gas. The public must attend these', meetings. Thousands of people throughout the country had. not taken their place in civil defence, and the time had arrived when they must. Civil defence personnel could then be released for other work cf national importance.

The Home Secretary (Sir John Anderson) said that enemy aliens' were prohibited from owning or controlling any wireless apparatus* for transmission or reception.

The Treasury announced that the Government would advance, cash to families whose homes suffer war damage. The advances, which would be made only in cases, of urgent need, would be against whatever was payable under a general scheme of Government compensation after the> war. Grants for furniture would not apply to households receiving an annual income of more than £4OO. Grants for clothing would not apply to individuals without dependents receiving an income of £250, or, with dependents, receiving £4OO. The maximum grant for furniture would be l £5O, and clothing £lO where there were no dependents, £2O where' there was one dependent, and £3o' where there were more.

GUARDING THE COASTS.

LONDON, June 7.

The Admiralty has issued an order’ that no merchant vessel, as from tomorrow, shall approach within three miles of the coast ports of the United Kingdom between sunset and sunrise, except in organised British convoys.

RUGBY, June 7.

The Admiralty order prohibiting merchant vessels approaching the coast within three miles between sunset and sunrise, does not prohibit vessels on passage from using a recognised coastal-searched channel, where this encroaches on the three miles limit. With this exception, vessels not in organised convoy, who are unable to make their destination before sunset, must anchor, or proceed outside the limit. Vessels failing to comply are liable to be fired on. RAIDS OVER FRANCE (Recd. June 8, 10.25 a.m.) PARIS, June 7. An air raid warning in Central France lasted for three hours. Bombs dropped caused material damage, but no victims are reported. An air raid alarm in Paris, early this morning, lasted half-an-hour. The warning was due to a force of German planes estimated at two hundred, passing over the French lines. The results are not yet known.