FLYING BOMBS

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVI, Issue 22934, 3 July 1944, Page 5

FLYING BOMBS

Further Damage And Casualties Children’s Hostel Hit By Telegraph—N.Z. Press Assn—Copyright LONDON, June 30. Flying-bombs were again active last night and to-day over Southern England. Fighters and anti-air-craft batteries accounted for many, but others damaged buildings, wrecked houses, and caused many casualties, including deaths. Flying-bombs early to-day directly hit and demolished' a large private house in Southern England, which is used as a hostel for evacuated children under five. Some of the children and members of the nursing staff were killed, others are still trapped in the wreckage. The bodies of several children and adults have been recovered from the wreckage. The children were asleep when the bomb, which had been shot down, fell on the hostel, which housed between 20 and 30 children, the matron, and 11 members of the nursing staff. The matron was among those seriously Injured. Another bomb demolished two shelters and killed four, while another damaged a doctor’s surgery, from which the doctor was dug out uninjured, and helped other doctors to administer morphia to victims. Six were killed in another incident In which American soldiers, Home Guards, Boy Scouts and civilians aided the rescuers. A search was going on for persons who had been trapped when a flyingbomb directly hit shops and houses in another town in Southern England. When a flying-bomb fell in a street in one town, large buildings were severely damaged. Clouds of smoke after the explosion hid the scene, and when the smoke dispersed, a number of persons were seen lying on the pavements injured and hurt. Mr Churchill, accompanied by General Sii- Frederick Pile, Commander-in-Chief of the Anti-aircraft Defences, and Mrs Churchill, spent six hours watching the anti-aircraft batteries in action against flying-bombs. As he shook hands with gunners who had already shot down several bombs, Mr Churchill said grimly: “It is a pity there were no Huns in them.” Mr Churchill’s daughter, Mary, was in charge of the A.T.S. girls plotting the fire of one battery which the party visited.

Flying bombs launched against Southern England by night and day in the last 24 hours have again run the gauntlet both of continuous fighter patrols, controlled by the Air Defence of Great Britain, and of ground fire, and a number have been destroyed. Batteries which the Prime Minister visited yesterday were among those which engaged flying bombs at intervals through last night. Kills have been made by Australian airmen and by New Zealand and Allied as well as Royal Air Force fighters. On one occasion a pilot officer shot down a pair of bombs within five minutes. Aircraft of a group of the Ninth United States Air Force based in Southern England have also destroyed several.

“It is up to England to stop her bombing,” said the German radio’s political commentator, Fritsche. If she ceases her terror attacks, Germany will not be forced to use her “veeone weapon.” He added that if the English continued to try every method to combat flying bombs, there would still be more new weapons. Hospital Receives Direct Hit Two wards were wrecked and others damaged and several people were killed when a flying bomb scored a direct hit on a hospital last night. Every ward suffered blast damage when a flying bomb fell a few yards from another hospital this morning. Three members of the nursing staff were injured, but the patients, most of whom were bomb casualties, escaped. Another flying bomb crashed on a village to-day, causing extensive damage, but only one casualty. French refugees in Southern England were again made homeless when a building in which they were housed was hit by a flying bomb. Twentyeight nuns escaped injury by sheltering under the stairs when their Anglican Convent was damaged by blast. Hundreds of aged persons in an infirmary were blown out of bed by blast from another flying bomb. High-up Nazis are trying to use their already discredited flying bomb as a bargaining factor to save the remainder of Berlin from complete destruction, says the diplomatic correspondent of the “Sunday Dispatch.” The latest feeler is extended through Spain, where negotiated peace propaganda to which the Spanish Press and radio Lr.ve given prominence since the flying bomb was first used, has now definitely entered diplomatic channels. The correspondent declares that Spain is manufacturing components for flying bombs at Pamplona with the full knowledge and co-operation of the Franco Government. So far General Franco has not protested against the new German war against British civilians, although he did protest strongly against the British bombing of military and industrial objectives in Germany.