LONDON SIRENS SOUNDED

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21735, 17 August 1940, Page 7

LONDON SIRENS SOUNDED

Attack On Croydon Airport United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright (Received August 16, 6.30 p.m.) LONDON, August 16. Sirens were sounded in London for the first time for many weeks when between 20 and 30 raiders bombed Croydon. The raid was the clmiax to a day of intensive aerial warfare,/but air battles over England continued long after nightfall. One onlooker said: “The Germans did not stay long and went off like hell with our fighters on their heels.” Agency reports say that 30 machines were engaged in a fight over the aerodrome. All the German fighters engaged in this combat did not get home. Bombs at Croydon damaged an airport building, a hangar and some houses including 20 which were rendered untenable in one street, but a remarkable feature of the raid was that only one man has been established as killed. The damage to Croydon aerodrome was net as severe as was expected. Debris flew hundreds of yards as a result of large calibre high explosive bombs. Fires broke out but firemen and members of the A.R.P. soon had them under control. The ground staff fearlessly went In and dragged ’planes to safety, A number of buildings were damaged at Croydon including a scent factory’, but the aerodrome itself was not seriously damaged. Tiie Mayor of Croydon has called a conference to draw up a scheme for the relief of victims of last night’s bombing. Rescue work continued until midnight and was resumed at dawn. The ruins of four dwellings are still under search.