CONVENT STRUCK

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24474, 6 December 1940, Page 7

CONVENT STRUCK

AIR RAID ON LONDON SEVERAL PEOPLE KILLED BLOCK OF FLATS DEMOLISHED (United Press Association) (By Electric Telegraph—Copyrightr LONDON, Dec. 4. An intense but comparatively short attack was made on Birmingham last night by a considerable force of raiders. The casualties were surprisingly low, most of the damage being confined to dwellings and shops. Explosives struck a London convent last night/where 100 people were sheltering. Several.were killed and others seriously injured. A.R.P. workers, after working all night, were still extricating people from the debris: Eleven nuns who went into the chapel were unhurt. A 13-year-old girl left the convent shelter to buy her parents' supper. She heard the bombs and rushed back to see her father dug out seriously injured, but her mother was still,buried. Another bomb demolished the rear part of a block of flats opposite the convent, killing a woman and injuring a number. A raider, believed to be an Italian plane, last night dropped three bombs on'a south-east coast town, damaging shops and an hotel, but causing no casualties. "Enemy activity over Britain today has been very slight," states a communique. Shortly after midday bombs were dropped on Dover, doing some damage. There, were a few casualties. One enemy bomber was shot down off the Dutch coast by our fighters without loss to themselves. ' ,

According to an official announcement London anti-aircraft guns have shot down more than 400 enemy planes to date.' The total enemy raiders brought down over; Britain has reached 3000. The British losses are 850. '■;>', / "'