SEVEN KILLED

Grey River Argus, 5 January 1946, Page 5

SEVEN KILLED

ENGLISH AMMUNITION TRAIN DISASTER LONDON, Jan. 3 It is officially stated that mystery surrounds the large explosion of ammuntion at the railway siding in Wiltshire. The War Office announced the total casualties as seven, one of whom died in hospital, and seven were injured'. The explosions made five great craters in the Savernake Forest, and the craters are surrounded by smashed trucks and ‘bent and blackened debris. The fire caused has been put out, six bodies recovered, and the area is picketed. Civilians who were evacuat.ed from their homes have been permitted to return. The railway and main road' are now open again.

A ’ Press Association reporter who was allowed to visit the siding today saw a terrible scene of devastation. Parallel rows of railway trucks ended abruptly at the edges of craters and for nearly a quarter of a mile nothing remained of train lines; or ammunition but scraps of shapeless metal. Of at least twelve trucks, each of which was loaded with ten tons of explosives, the only recognisable object left was one wheel lying half-buried at the bottom of a crater. Twenty-five-pounder cartridges, 5.9 in shells, and mines which were thrown from other trucks were scattered’ over a wide area.

With a flash of flame! 109 feet high and an explosion that shook Eastbourne, a 5001 b bomb dropped by the Luftwaffe during the Battle of Britain, five years ago, was detonated by remote control. Tons of debris hurled into the air fell littering the street. The blast blew out windows and brought down ceilings. About 100 houses were damaged. People were evacuated from the houses nearby. There were no casualties.