RAIDS ON LONDON

Grey River Argus, 23 January 1943, Page 5

RAIDS ON LONDON

48 KILLED IN A SCHOOL Some Unpreparedness [Aust. & N.Z. Cable Assn.] | LONDON, Jan. 21. , Forty-eight children and teachers tare known to have been killed in tne ! London school which was wrecked ;by a bomb in yesterday’s daylight raid on the capital. Fifty from the 1 school have been detained in hospital, and 20 children whose ages range from seven to 14 are missing. Five out of eight teachers in the junir section were killed. | The search tor those missing continues, but there is no hope that any .will be found alive. An attempt at I tunnelling during the night had to be abandoned because of escaping i gas. Part of London’s balloon barrage was unprepared for yesterday's raid, the' “Express” says. Some balloons I were not .raised in time, therefore, 'the German lighter-bombers were 'able to slip through and make lowi level attacks. A preliminary inquiry ihas been held, adds the “Express, i'and questions will be asked in the .Commons.

! Mr. Davidson, in the Commons. I asked Mr. Herbert Morrison if he was aware that many people were unable to get into shelters during yesterday’s air-raid on London because they were locked. He asked the 'Minister if he would give Instructions that they must always be available especially for protection from splinters from our own shells. Mr. Morrison sa'id the maintenance of the shelters was a matter for the Minister of Health, who was in a great dilemma because of the scandalous misuse and damage to the shelters by citizens. Wardens had been instructed to open the shelters when the- warning sounded, but often there was little time between the sirens ond the bombs. Speaking at the Guildhall, London, Mr Stanley Lewis, Mayor of Ottawaand President of the Canadian Federation of Municipalities, paid a high tribute to the local governments ot Britain for their splendid leadership in organising civil defence and to tne courage of the people themselves. He said that he and his party had arrived in London only a few hours before last Sunday’s raid and had seen for themselves evedything was under control. They had seen the demolition and rescue 'squads at work, talked with people whose homes were destroyed, and relations of casualties. This experience had revealed as nothing else could have done “t‘he spirit of resolute courage of the British people—that secret weapon which defies the military scientists and which n for ever, will baffle the world.