AERIAL ACTIVITIES

Southland Times, Issue 17663, 22 February 1916, Page 5

AERIAL ACTIVITIES

A SEAPLANE SAID. FOUR MACHINES VISIT SOUTHEAST COAST. LOWESTOFT AND WAIKEB BOUSED THREE HILLED; ONE WOUNDED. PRACTICALLY NO DAMAGE. (By Telegraph—Press Assn. —Copyright) LONDON, February 20. Received February 21, 9.15 p.m. The War Office reports that four seaplanes raided the east and south-east coasts about noon. Two appeared Lowestoft and circled round the south side of the town for five minutes and dropped bombs. They then rose to a great height and disappeared eastward. Altogether seventeen small highly explosive bombs were dropped. There were no casualties. A restaurant and two houses were damaged. Two naval seaplanes pursued the raiders without result. Meanwhile two other seaplanes visited the Kentish coast. The first passed over tlie Kentish Knock light vessel, dropping bombs in the vicinity. The second made straight for Walmer, flying no higher than 350 feet, and dropped six bombs. It then turned sharply east. Two bombs destroyed roofs and broke windows. One bomb fell close to a church, blowing out the windows as the congregation were singing the Te Deum. A third fell on the roadway along the beach, killing a civilian and injuring a marine. The total casualties were two men and a boy killed, and one marine wounded. Two aeroplanes rose over Walmer and pnrsued the raider, but apparently were unable to overtake it. THE AIK DEFENCE CONTBOVEBSY SOUND SENSE POEM LOBD DEBBY LONDON, February 20. Lord Derby, addressing the Workmen's Conservative Association at Liverpool, said that we were making ourselves as safe as we could against air raids, and the enemy as uncomfortable as we could, by the blockade. He reprobated any recrimination. Who was as responsible as were the people who were unprepared for war If any statesman years before the war had sai(| “We want millions of men to prepare for a war,” the people would have locked him up. The war was going to be won and lost in Flanders —not by Zeppelins flying over a country which disdained to be frightened. He urged the press and the public to trust the Government, which was not less patriotic than themselves, and was doing all it could.