RAIDS ON ENGLAND

Greymouth Evening Star, 29 December 1944, Page 5

RAIDS ON ENGLAND

THE YEAR’S CASUALTIES

(Rec. 1.50) LONDON. December 28. Civilian casualties for the first 11 months this year were 80,989 (!) killed and 21.137 seriously injured, according to the Ministry of Home Security, this compares with 21,000 odd killed in 1941. the worst year of the blitz, and 3000 odd killed last year, which was the lowest since the beginning of the war. Piloted aircraft in February and March made the heaviest attacks on London since j940_41. Fireguards dealt with 90 per cent of the fires. No serious fire situation was allowed to develop. The system of observer posts was developed when flying-bomb attacks began . whereby the fall of bombs was reported to direct control rooms within a few seconds. Rescue methods were much improved and not infrequently persons were rescued within 20 minutes.

FLYING BOMB MAIL.

LONDON, December 28. Letters from British prisoners of war are being sent to England inside of V bombs. A north ot England town was recently attacked. Residents there found a leaflet marked v P.O.W. Post.” It contained three let- — lers, both in photostat and in printed form, from prisoners of war, and addressed to relations. The following appeared at the top of leaflets. The finder is requested to cut out or copy the letters printed here, and to transmit them to the addresses as early as possible. The originals are being sent through the Red Cross in the usual mail channels." A V bomb was recently dropped in a village in the north of England, and letters in leaflet form were found from prisoners of war in Germany. A woman, on returning to her wrecked home, from which she had handed a Christmas card from? hei soldier son, bearing the address of the home which the bomb destroyed.