I.R.A. ACTIVITY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 June 1939, Page 7

I.R.A. ACTIVITY

BOMBS IN PILLAR-BOXES MANY EXPLOSIONS IN ENGLISH CITIES AT LEAST 8000 LETTERS DESTROYED tU.P A.—B.v Electric Telegraph— Copyrigbti LONDON, 10th June. Thirteen London pillar-boxes were set on fire and bombs were found at the Post Office in Wimpole street on Friday. Three additional bombs exploded in London this morning, two in post offices and one at a pillar-box, which was slightly damaged. Total pillar-box explosions are 18 in London, six in Lincoln, five In Birmingham, two in Leicester, and one in Manchester. One exploded in a mailbag on the Birmingham-London express train. Twelve postal employees were slightly injured. Week-end leave in the metropolitan police area has been cancelled. Many policemen and detectives are stationed on special duty in an attempt to trace the headquarters of Irish Republican Army terrorists, who, it is believed, placed 30 bombs in pillar-boxes, post offices, railway and road mail vans in London, Birmingham, Lincoln, Leicester and Manchester on Friday night, destroying at least 8000 letters.

Police reserves were called out and the fire brigade put emergency operations in force on Friday. The bombs were of the customary type and were enclosed in envelopes. Four bombs exploded in letter-boxes in Birmingham, two after the collection of the mails. There were six explosions in the Lincoln post office but nobody was injured.