YOUNG VICTIMS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 78, 1 June 1943, Page 5

YOUNG VICTIMS

PARISH CHURCH BOMBED GERMANS RAID TORQUAY’ BEACHES MACHINE-GUNNED The bodies of 21 children have been recovered lrom a parish church which German Folkewulls bombed in a south-coast town yesterday afternoon. Berlin radio says the town was Torquay. Most of the children were very young. The victims included a number of waifs and strays from an orphans’ home. The church, in which a special service was being held, was practically laid in ruins. Workers late last night were still searching the ruins. Several houses were also destroyed and a number of people was killed while others were rendered homeless. The raid on the town was made by 21 planes. One-third were turned back by vigorous anti-aircraft fire. Others machine-gunned the beaches, causing casualties, including a father who was shot dead beside his young son who was shot through the foot. The raiders then indiscriminately the town. Three large hotels and many dwellings were badly damaged and some shops were demolished. Bodies recovered from the church ; also include one teacher. Several | teachers and 15 children are missing, but some may not have been in the building. Between 40 and 50 from an infants’ school assembled in a nearby parish hall escaped injury. If the raid had been 10 minutes later it would have endangered the whole gathering at which there were usually 100 children. Twelve Fockewulf 90s attacked two East Anglian towns late yesterday. One was shot down into the sea and the crew was rescued by a lifeboat. Two others are believed to have been damaged. An empty church was wrecked and a hotel and other buildings were badly damaged. It has been revealed that 39 children and five teachers were killed on January 30, when a dayraider’s bomb hit Catford School, Lewisham —PA. ANXIOUS PARENTS The burial of Sunday school attendI ance registers under the rubble of the : ruined church at Torquay is making identification of missing children difficult. but it is known that three teachers and 18 children were killed, and 14 children seriously and 10 slightly injured. It was the town's worst raid. The Director of Education for the town was among many killed He was walking on the seafront with children when planes came over. He threw himself to the ground, protecting oue child with his body. A cannonshell killed him but the child was only slightly injured in the foot. Members of the civil defence units digging in the ruins of workmen’s cottages found the body of a man under whom was his wife, still alive, with both legs broken. She was conscious throughout the hour and a half it took to extricate her and was able to direct workers to a spot nearby where a boy aged 16 lay dead.

Anxious parents were still waiting at the church gate this evening for the news of children, while rescue squads dug among fallen masonry.—P A. and 8.0. W.