IN A HURRY

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume 50, Issue 3055, 28 March 1941, Page 6

IN A HURRY

HAPHAZARD BOMBING EXPERIENCES DESCRIBED LETTER RECEIVED IN TURUA That the German airmen do not concentrate on military objectives, but drop their bombs indiscriminately, apparently in a hurry to reach home, is evidenced in a letter received by Mr H. H. Hicks, of Turua, from his brother in England. The locality mentioned in the letter is about half a mile from any road and could by no stretch of imagination be considered a military objective.

The letter reads: “We had rather an exciting evening* last Saturday, when the Germans came over and bombed us. They were around just as we were going to bed, so we went into oui* air raid shelter under the hay house, which we had build when we made the hay. After we had been there half an hour the raiders dropped a bomb on the hay house and about 200 bombs nearby. We ran out in an instant and found the hay on fire and the place was lit up like day. Stuart and I fought the hayhouse fire, and I sent the other two boys to see if the house was all right. They found that an incendiary bomb had gone through the roof and that a bedroom was on fire.

“The managed to put this fire out and by that time Stuart and I had the

hay-house under control. One fire bomb exploded and hit my hand rather badly, but it was a miracle how many landed so close and none went through the other buildings. They landed on ■the lawn, garden, orchard, and, in fact, everywhere. We picked up several unexploded' bombs and took the charges out. They are beautifully made.”

The raiders dropped a “bread basket” at another spot not far from the writer’s residence, and it lit up the whole countryside.