SERIOUS AIR RAID.

Northern Advocate, 21 January 1915, Page 5

SERIOUS AIR RAID.

ON EAST COAST OF ENGLAND.

BOMBS DROPPED ON SEVERAL TOWNS. MANY PERSON'S KILLED'AND WOUNDED. NUMBERS CANNOT YET BE ESTIMATED. (Press Assn.—-Reed. 3.30' p.m.) LONDON, January 19. A Zeppelin dropped bombs near Sandringham, in Norfolk, 10 miles ; •from the coast. \ A German aeroplane.. at half-pasM eight threw bombs on Yarmouth, do- j ing considerable damage. * A man's head was blown off. j The aeroplane was plainly heard. i One homb fell on the sea front, another on the south quay, a third near the drill hall, and a fourth near the Trinity depot. After remaining over the town for | ton minutes the aeroplane escaped in j the darkness. Reed. 8.50 p.m.) LONDON, January 19. [ It is now believed that it was a i Zeppelin that visited Yarmouth. Five I bombs were dropped. ... j Three people were killed and sev- I eral houses were shattered. From Yarmouth the Zeppelin went north to Sheringham, 25 miles away, and dropped two bombs without doing any damage. The raider reached King's Lynn, on the Wash, at 10.30, and dropped four bombs. Near Sandringham more bombs were dropped. ' (Reed. 8 p.m.) LONDON, January 20. The bulk of the damage done was to private houses. One 'bomb alighted on an empty house and another struck a shop and blew off the head of Smith, a shoemaker. Fortunately no fires broke out. The Zeppelin proceeded to Sandringham where a bomb crashed through I the roof of a working man's house and entered the room where the man, his wife and child were sleeping. The bomb did not explode, the fuse having become detached during its descent. After hai-mlessly dropping another bomb at Grimston the Zeppelin reached King's Lynn at 11.15 p.m. At Sandringham seven bombs were dropped. One killed a youth aged seventeen. Elsewhere a baby and its mother were injured. The aircraft left eastward. The first bomb dropped at Yarmouth fell on the recruiting ground. Then a bomb was dropped on the drill hall, which was not greatly damaged. Then terrifying explosions occurred in five or six parts of the town. It is impossible at present to -estimate the number of killed and injured. The ruinous condition of many of the buildings suggests that the casualtylist may be heavy, particularly as moat people were at home at the time. The chief damage was in the congested area of- Saint Peter's road, where it is reported four persons were killed. An elderly woman was killed fifty yards from the centre of the explosion. Approaching King'?'. Lynn the Zeppelin dropped a bomb at Snettisham, where Queen Alexandra has a bunI galow. Other bombs were dropped at Dersingham.

Many houses in King's Lynn were damaged and the furniture scattered. Fragments of masonry wore hurled several hundred yards. j (Reed. 11.25 p.m.) < I LONDON, January 20. i 'The news of the Zeppelin raid was published in' London at midnight. Previously special constables had been called out, firemen gathered at the stations, and anti-aircraft guns were manned. Searchlights were playing throughout the evening in general expectation cf the, -longI threatened Zeppelin raid coming. • There was a sensation when the I new a "from Sandringham was received. | Fortunately the King had returned -tn | Lmdfin. prLr to the outrage. '. Til'- !ji:?;ht was dark and still at Yar- | mouth. The places of amusement ] were in full swing. Many people j were in the streets, where the pro--3 pollers of the aircraft first attracted '] attention. Then the aircraft was seen coming from the north-east. | Flashes of searchlight were occasionI ally seen. The Zeppelin crossed the centre of the town, dropping bombs from, a low elevation. There were I heavy . explosions. Many persons out of their houses,* but j others followed the advice of the aui thorities and concealed their families I in the basements. 1 (Reed. 8.45 a.m.) LONDON, January 207 'There are conflicting reports as to whether Zeppelins or aeroplanes flew over Yarmouth. The authorities are positive aeroplanes were used; and it is generally believed that this must have been the case owing to the small explosives. A number of houses were demolished in King's Lynn, and twenty-five families are homeless. A scldier was wounded at Yarmouth and died.

The officials at Cromer promptly extinguished all lights, and no bombs were dropped there.