RAID ON ENGLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 June 1940, Page 7

RAID ON ENGLAND

EFFECTIVE DEFENCES THREE CIVILIANS INJURED [BY CABLE—PRESS ASSN. —COPYRIGHT.] LONDON, June 28.

It is officially stated that enemy aeroplanes carried out bombing attacks in several districts in Britain during the night. No serious damage was done and the casualties were very slight. Enemy raiders flying at a great height were heard over south-east and north-east England. Some were quickly driven back to the sea by British fighters. Bombs were dropped in some areas. German raiders met with the hottest defence from searchlights and anti-aircraft guns. The aircraft did their best to escape from the beams of the searchlights. They were seen retreating to the sea with British fighter planes on their tails. There was a terrific barrage in the north-west of England. —LATER.

The Ministry of Home Security announced that three civilians were injured in last night’s air raid. None was killed. Sixteen civilians were injured and none killed in the raids on the night of June 26/27. GERMAN CLAIMS BERLIN, June 28. A communique states: Our Air Force, during the night of June 2728 successfully attacked British armament factories, and also attacked Southern England and the Midlands. Explosions and great fires were observed. British machines crossed the Belgian and Dutch coasts at various points on June 27. They were attacked by our fighters, which in one case shot down all six invading planes. Two other • British machines succeeded in reaching the neighbourhood of Hanovei’ and dropped bombs. Many were killed and injured, and a certain amount of damage was done. • . On the night of June 27-28, British planes again flew over western and northern Germany. Bombs were dropped at several points, and hit houses, resulting in numerous deaths and injuries. Our fighters shot down two enemy machines. A British machine attempted to bomb the aerodrome at Stavanger, but was shot down. The enemy lost a total of twelve planes in aerial combat, and four through anti-aircraft fire. One of our machines is missing. BRITISH WARNING TO GERMANS LONDON, June 28. The British Broadcasting Corporation German language broadcast warned German civilians to take cover on the approach of British aeroplanes. “The British Air Force is fighting Nazism, not German civilians,” it stated. “As the Nazis do not sound a warning it is essential that civilians should be warned from other sources.”

R.A.F. ATTACKS

RUGBY, June 28.

An Air Ministry communique states: During yesterday, in addition to their routine convoy escorts, aircraft of the coastal command carried out extensive reconnaissance over the North Sea, the English Channel, and the coasts of Scandinavia and Holland. In the course of these operations which continued during the night, damage was done to enemy shipping. Seaplane bases at Helder and Texel were bombed, and a Heinkel was destroyed. Five of our aircruft fulled to return. Yesterday, R.A.F. bombers also carried out deep reconnaissances over France in the afternoon, and penetrated into Germany as far as Hanover. Here two oil tanks were set on fire. From these operations two of our bombers are missing. Two of our fighters failed to return from an escort patrol over France. Last night, our bombers attacked military objectives in Denmark and north Germany. Oil tanks at Nybork Island, west of Copenhagen, were set on fire. The aircraft factory at Wismar. in Meclenberg, was heavily bombed. Fires were started at the aircraft factory at Deichshausen. The lock gates on the DortmundEms canal were damaged. Barges on the canal five miles north of Reisenbeck were bombed, and one was blown out of the water. Inland docks near Duisberg were also bombed, as well as marshalling yards at Schwerte and Osnabruck, and the munitions factory at Heerdt, near Dusseldorf. All our aircraft returned safely. This morning, coastal command aircraft attackel and blew up an ammunition store at Willemsoord harbour, in Holland. CANADIAN’S SUCCESS.

RUGBY, June 28.

An Air Ministry bulletin contains details of the attack made this morning on the ammunition store at Willemsoord harbour, Holland. It is officially announced in an Air Ministry communique that a young Canadian, a holder of the D.S.C., was flying a Hudson aircraft of the coastal command on the dawn patrol. He approached the German-occupied harbour at 13,000 feet, and then shut off his engine. He pulled out of the dive at 3000 feet, and the explosion of his bombs was the first thing the German ground defences knew of his presence. As he circled over the town after his attack, he saw a big explosion in one of the ammunition stores he had wrecked, and a huge fire among buildings on the dockside. KING CONFERS AWARDS LONDON, June 28. The King toured Royal Air Force fighter stations and decorated pilots, some of whom had just returned from combats. His Majesty decorated 15 airmen, including the Wanganui pilot, Squadron Leader A. T. Deere, and other Dominion airmen. The 15 airmen who were decorated had among them accounted for 115 enemy machines. ITALIAN BOMBERS CAPTURED LONDON, June 28. According to reports from Aden, considerable interest has been created locally by the presence of a captured Italian bomber, which was re-

cently flown 150 miles back from the place in the desert where it had been forced down by a British pilot, who captured the Italian crew of five. There was a large crowd all day round the three-engined Italian aeroplane. Incidentally, the action of the British pilot in taking off from a lumpy wadi in an aircraft of which he had no experience, drew a tribute of professional admiration from the Italian pilot. He called his captor, “Un uomo fantastico.”

It is also reported from Aden that news has been received there that another Italian bomber, after the unsuccessful raid towards Aden on June 12, made a forced landing in French Somaliland, and was seen by a pair of Somali militiamen. In spite of fire from the bomber’s machine-guns, the Somali troops gradually crept up and forced the three surviving members of the crew to surrender. One Somali marched them to the nearest post, while the other guarded the aircraft.

N.Z. PILOTS MISSING

WELLINGTON, June 28.

An official casualty list is:—

Flying Officer/ Harold Edward Vickery, of InVercargill, missing as a result of enemy action at sea. His father is Mr. P. H. Vickery, of the National Bank of New Zealand, Moorgate, London. Pilot Officer James Leon Wilkie, missing, believed killed in action. His mother is Mrs. A. N. Georgetti, New Zealand House, London. Her New Zealand address is Okirao station, Fordell.

An official casualty list issued today states that Pilot Officer Henry Macale Murray, previously reported as missing, is now reported to be a prisoner of war. Mrs. I. F. Burkeridge 9 Regal Gardens, Wellington, is a sister, and Mr. F. M. Murray, Auckland, is a brother.

Word has been received that Pilot Officer Peter Noel Trolove, formerly of Christchurch, who has been serving with the Royal Air Force v has been reported as missing. Pilot Officer 1 Trolove, a son of Mrs. N. F. Trolove,' of Wainoni road, Christchurch, was born in 1914. He joined the Civil Reserve of pilots in New Zealand in 1937, and the following year joined the Royal Air Force. After training at Wigram, he went to England early in 1939, and since November of last year has been attached to the Coast1 a'l Command.