Monday 19th May 1941
A spot well known for the beauty its scenery was among the varied places in a South West area to receive bombs on Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday morning. Altogether, some twenty five bombs fell, and once again there is a story of no casualties report, though there was a certain amount of damage to house property. Roofs and windows suffered considerably when two bombs fell close to one another at the beauty spot, straddling pathway between two batches of detached houses. One of the houses to sustain fairly extensive damage was that occupied by Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Hooper, who are themselves quite unharmed after a terrifying experience, for one of the fell not more than twenty yards from their house.
Windows were smashed, and slates torn off the roof, through which there was a large gaping hole, where a stone thrown up the bomb crashed through, falling on to a bed, in a room which was happily not occupied. Mrs Hooper engaged in clearing up the mess, said that it might have been a lot worse: " It all happened so quickly," she said, " I heard a plane coming, and the next thing I knew was the crash. Luckily, we had not gone to bed, for, if we had done, I should have been sleeping right under that smashed window." Most of the glass was carried outwards by the blast, and, considering the proximity of the bomb, the damage might certainly have been a great deal worse. Blast always has a curious effect, and another case, in point was provided by this house, where a tool cupboard had its concrete lower half smashed, and the blocks lying higgledy-piggledy, and yet the glass in the upper portion remained untouched.
Other houses in this part had lost a considerable number of slates, and many holes, mostly on the small side, showed through the roofs, whilst windows were smashed over wide area.
When two bombs fell at another spot, bungalows and a house nearby had lucky escapes. A very large crater was formed within fifty yards of two of the bungalows, which stood up to the blast well, though losing windows, and having stones cascading through the roofs. Mrs Symons, who lives in one of the bungalow nearest to the large crater, told how she and her husband had been in bed and asleep when the bombs fell. They were awakened by a terrific explosion, and stones and earth were thrown up, and came through the roof, but here again causing no injuries, though Mrs. Symons said she felt badly shaken, and was only beginning to get over the shock, which was quite understandable. Huge stones were hurled great distances by the force of the explosion, one travelling as much as five hundred yards, but the effect of the blast was felt in direction away from the houses; otherwise it was difficult to see how these frail buildings could have remained standing. The explosion of the bombs in this area caused buildings in a neighbouring town some miles away to rock, and it was therefore all the more surprising find a comparatively damage-free state of affairs. The remainder of the bombs fell in another district in open country, ploughing up the countryside, but doing no material damage and causing no injury.
A spot well known for the beauty its scenery was among the varied places in a South West area to receive bombs on Monday night and the early hours of Tuesday morning. Altogether, some twenty five bombs fell, and once again there is a story of no casualties report, though there was a certain amount of damage to house property. Roofs and windows suffered considerably when two bombs fell close to one another at the beauty spot, straddling pathway between two batches of detached houses. One of the houses to sustain fairly extensive damage was that occupied by Mr. and Mrs. J. E. Hooper, who are themselves quite unharmed after a terrifying experience, for one of the fell not more than twenty yards from their house.
Windows were smashed, and slates torn off the roof, through which there was a large gaping hole, where a stone thrown up the bomb crashed through, falling on to a bed, in a room which was happily not occupied. Mrs Hooper engaged in clearing up the mess, said that it might have been a lot worse: " It all happened so quickly," she said, " I heard a plane coming, and the next thing I knew was the crash. Luckily, we had not gone to bed, for, if we had done, I should have been sleeping right under that smashed window." Most of the glass was carried outwards by the blast, and, considering the proximity of the bomb, the damage might certainly have been a great deal worse. Blast always has a curious effect, and another case, in point was provided by this house, where a tool cupboard had its concrete lower half smashed, and the blocks lying higgledy-piggledy, and yet the glass in the upper portion remained untouched.
Other houses in this part had lost a considerable number of slates, and many holes, mostly on the small side, showed through the roofs, whilst windows were smashed over wide area.
When two bombs fell at another spot, bungalows and a house nearby had lucky escapes. A very large crater was formed within fifty yards of two of the bungalows, which stood up to the blast well, though losing windows, and having stones cascading through the roofs. Mrs Symons, who lives in one of the bungalow nearest to the large crater, told how she and her husband had been in bed and asleep when the bombs fell. They were awakened by a terrific explosion, and stones and earth were thrown up, and came through the roof, but here again causing no injuries, though Mrs. Symons said she felt badly shaken, and was only beginning to get over the shock, which was quite understandable. Huge stones were hurled great distances by the force of the explosion, one travelling as much as five hundred yards, but the effect of the blast was felt in direction away from the houses; otherwise it was difficult to see how these frail buildings could have remained standing. The explosion of the bombs in this area caused buildings in a neighbouring town some miles away to rock, and it was therefore all the more surprising find a comparatively damage-free state of affairs. The remainder of the bombs fell in another district in open country, ploughing up the countryside, but doing no material damage and causing no injury.
