MANY CASUALTIES

Grey River Argus, 3 July 1944, Page 2

MANY CASUALTIES

From Flying Bombs

FRIDAY’S EFFECTS. LONDON, July 1. On Thursday night and on Friday in the south .of England, flying bombs continue to come in from France. On Friday early bombs hit and demolished a large private house used as a hostel for evacuated children under five Some children and members ol the nursin'g staff were killed. Others are still trapped in the wreckage. The bodies of several children and a’dults have been recovered from the wrecks age. The children were asleep’ when the bomb, which had been shot down, fell on the hostel, which housed between twenty and thirty children, the matron and eleven members of the nursing staff. The matron was among those seriously injured. A.T'.S. girls, were among the victims when a flying-bomb severely damaged a building near a common at breakfast time. Another bomb demolished two shelters and killed four, while another damaged a doctor’s surgery, from which the doctor was dug out uninjured and helped other doctors to administer morphia to victims. . . Six were killed in. another incident in which American soldiers, Home Guards, Boy Scouts and civilians aided the rescuers. A search was going on for persons who had been trapped when a flyingbomb directly hit shops and houses in another town in southern England. When a flying-bomb fell in a street, in one town, large buildings were severely damaged. Clouds of smoke after the explosion hid the scene, and when the smoke dispersed, a number of people were seen lying on the pavements injured and hurt. Fighters and anti-aircraft batteries accounted for many bombs, but. others damaged buildings, wrecked houses, and caused many casualties, including deaths. . . , Mr. Churchill, accompanied bv General Sir Frederick Pile. Command-er-in-Chief of the Anti-Aircraft Defence, and Mrs. Churchill spent six hours watching the anti-aircraft batteries in action against flying bombs. Mr. Churchill said grimly: “It is a pitv there were no Huns in them.’’ Mr. Churchill’s daughter. Mary wa's in charge of the A.T.S. girls plotting the fire on one battery which the party visited.

SEVERAL BOMBS SHOT down

ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY

(Rec. 6.30) LONDON, July 1. Flying bombs have been launched against Southern England by night and by day in the past 24 hours. They have again run the gauntlet both of continuous fighter patrols controlled by 7 the air defence of Great Britain and of ground fire. A number have been destroyed. Batteries on Friday were visited by the Prime Minister. These were among those which engaged fly ng bombs at intervals through Friday night. Kills were made by A.A. and by New Zealand and Allied as well as R.A.F. flehters. 1 On one occasion a pilot officer shot down a pair of the bombs within five minutes Aircraft of a group of the Ninth United States Air Force based in southern England also destroyed several.

Hospital Wrecked

MORE FLYING BOMB: HAVOC. (Rec .11.30.) LONDON, July 2. Two wards were wrecked and inc others were damaged, while sever a persons were killed, when a. flying bomb scored a direct hit on a hospita. on Saturday night. Every ward suffered. Blast damage When a flying bomb fell a few yards from another hospital on Sunday tnorning. Three . members of tne nursing staff were injured, but th? patients, most of whom are bomb casualties, escaped. Another flying bomb crashed on a village on Sunday, causing extensive damage, but only one casualty. French refugees in southern England were again made homeless when a build'ng in which they were housed was hit by a flying bomb. Twenty-eight Nuns escaped injury, •by sheltering under stairs, when their Anglican Convent was damaged by a blast.

Hundreds of aged persons in an infirmary were blown out of bed by the blast from another flying bomb.

Germany’s “V.l w Weapon

threat against bombing.

(Rec. 9.20) LONDON, July 2. “It is up to England to stop her bombing,” said the German Radios political commentator, Fritsche. 11 she ceases her terror attacks, Germany will not be forced to use her ‘VI’ weapon.” He added that if the English continued to try every method to combat the flying bombs there would be still more new weapons.

ENEMY BARGAINING EFFORT. (Rec. 11.10) LONDON, July 2. The diplomatic correspondent of the London "Sunday Despatch” says: High-up Nazis are trying to use their already discredited flying bomb as a bargaining factor to save the remainder of Berlin from complete destruction. The latest feeler has been extended through Spain, where propaganda for a negotiated peace, to which the Spanish press and radio has been giving prominence since the flying bomb was first used, nas now definitely entered into diplomatic channels The correspondent declares: In Spain there h .as been manufacturing of components for flying bombs at Pamplona with the full knowledge and co-operation of the Franco Government. So far General Franco has not protested against the new German war against British civilians, although he protest strongly against the British bombing of military industrial objectives in Germany. FURTHER BOMBS ON SUNDAY. (Rec. 12.5.,)■ LONDON, July 2. Flying bomb activity continued over southern England on Saturday night, and on Sunday morning, causing damage and casualties.