大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Robin.D.Bailey on behalf of the authors Phyllis M Rowe and Ivan Rabey. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

These are extracts from a book of the same title - see Part 1 : Introduction.

1941 continued.. September to December inclusive.

September 1941:

6th: Two of the six parachute mines dropped at Penryn during the late evening caused problems. One which did not explode was successfully defused within nine and a half hours by a Royal Naval Bomb Disposal Team from London. Six houses were demolished and about 350 damaged; there were five serious and sixteen slight injuries.

Two parachute mines fell at Tregervorah, two miles west of Penzance demolishing a Chapel and severely damaging three large glass houses,; two persons were slightly injured. Another two para-mines fell at Tregonebris Farm, Sancreed, damaging two houses. St. Just-in-Penwith was also subjected to cannon fire. - The official comment was 鈥渢hat in spite of everything, including the incident at Penryn, it was a very lucky evening.鈥�

There was now a lull of almost 3 weeks.

23rd: In the evening, St. Just-in-Penwith was machine-gunned and eleven bombs fell on Cape Cornwall and Botallack Mine areas. One person died and sixteen were injured in this raid, which also damaged a farmhouse, some cottages and outbuildings of Cape Cornwall Hotel.

26th: Early in the evening, two bombs fell at Condurrow near Camborne causing slight damage to glass.

28th: Late evening, a dwelling house and boat house were damaged by a bomb at Porthgwidden, Feock. At about the same time, two bombs fell at Trevol Camp, Torpoint, no casualties or damage resulted.

October 1941:

2nd: Just before midnight, one BLC Flashbomb fell in the Falmouth area and one high explosive fell at Six Cross Roads, Mylor. Neither bombs caused any damage or casualties.

6th: One of the largest bomb craters seen in Cornwall, measuring some 60鈥� across and at least 30鈥� deep was caused by a single bomb which fell at Treskewes Moor, St. Keverne causing damage to the switchboard at St. Keverne Telephone Exchange which was put out of commission for several days.

9th: At about 8 p.m., three bombs fell on the Moorings, Mylor, demolishing a house and seriously damaging two others. There were four casualties, none of which was serious. Another bomb fell at Portloe Farm, causing damage to farm buildings and two cottages.

12th: During the early hours, the road to Manaccan was blocked after three bombs fell at Carneages Hill, St. Martin-in-Meneage. Two failed to explode and were later dealt with by the Bomb Disposal Squad. Later the same morning, four bombs were dropped near Crafthole, causing damage to water mains and blocking the road to Rame.

All was then quiet throughout the County for about 12 days.

25th: Five bombs caused damage to property at Bosahan, Manaccan.

26th: Two bombs fell at Grampound Road causing damage to houses, the school, telephone and electricity cables and injuring one person.

28th: During the evening the Manaccan area had an attack with serious consequences when five bombs were dropped on Gillan and Tregasso Farms. Two bungalows were demolished, a number of houses extensively damaged, two women were killed and one child seriously injured. One 500 kg bomb also fell at Polgrain, St. Michael Caerhayes but failed to explode.

29th: Two bombs fell at Treen, St. Levan causing neither damage nor casualties.

30th: During the evening, sporadic, indiscriminate bombing took place in a ninety minute period when eleven bombs fell. Damage was done to five houses at Mawnan Smith, an air raid shelter was hit at Falmouth, but no casualties were reported. Another bomb caused damage to five cottages and some growing crops in the Guildford area of Hayle, but again no casualties.

November 1941:

5th: An explosive night: On Goonhilly Downs where four bombs landed. Halvasso Farm, Mabe was the target for five bombs and one bomb fell at Trebiggan Farm, Gerrans. These caused no damage, but two which fell at Pendower made a large crater at the cross roads and damaged much glass in the vicinity.

6th: A sizeable bomb made a very large crater at Phillack during the evening.

Then another brief lull.

12th: Bombs fell on Wheal Busy at Blackwater during the evening damaging several houses.

13th: Bombs fell on the railway goods yard at Southbourne Road, Scredda and Gewans Farm, St. Austell. Only slight damage was caused, but the five bombs which fell at Trefusis and Mylor, part of the same raid, demolished four houses at Mylor, killed four persons and injured four more. Five bombs also fell at Philleigh and four more at Brean Park, St. Winnow at about the same time, but caused no damage nor casualties.

14th: Bombs fell at Mawla, Treskilliard and Belenowe, Redruth causing damage to property. At Belenowe the bomb failed to explode and movement restriction were in force for four days until it could be made safe. A bomb fell at Penzer Point and three at Spar Downs, St. Agnes causing slight damage to growing crops.

15th: Slight damage was caused to farm buildings at Trethellan, Newquay by four bombs during the evening.

17th: Damage was caused at Lower Calamansack Farm during a mid-evening raid when thirteen bombs in all fell on places which included Gillan, Kestle and Treloon Farms at Gerrans.

19th: Four bombs which fell at Rosehill Farm, Mylor during the evening damaged electricity and telephone cables.

21st: Three bombs fell at St. Eval and one on nearby Engollen Farm, but caused little damage. Four bombs fell at Trevilley, Colan caused slight damage to glass, the farmhouse and outbuildings. But four which fell on Darracott Farm, Kilkhampton did no damage.

22nd: During the evening, five bombs obviously intended for Falmouth Docks, fortunately fell harmlessly into the sea. Five bombs were dropped on Calendra Farm, Veryan and two fell on Zone Point, but no damage was caused.

23rd: Two bombs fell at Sellars Wood, Porthscatho but did no damage.

24th: A Heinkel 111 crash-landed at Gwavas Farm, Sithney during the evening and the crew of four were taken prisoner.

25th: What was described as 鈥渞ather a bad raid鈥� occurred in the evening; Five bombs aimed at Falmouth Docks missed their target and fell on the town. In Lister Street, which took most of the bombs, three houses were demolished and eighty damaged. Five persons were killed, three seriously injured and five slightly wounded, but a Morrison table-type shelter undoubtedly save the lives of a mother and her two small children. An unexploded bomb at Merrill Place necessitated the evacuation of more than a hundred dwellings. A drifter was sunk at the docks, one shelter demolished and three persons were slightly injured.

As part of the same raid, four bombs fell at St. Eval and four just outside that target area at Trewinnick Farm, Rumford, but no damage resulted.

30th: Four bombs fell at Lanson Farm, Launceston; two failed to explode and no damage was caused.

December 1941:

12th: Fourteen bombs were dropped on Falmouth. Three houses were demolished, the Hydro Hotel on the seafront was damaged, as were houses in Lansdowne, Melville and Spernen Wyn and Boslowick Roads and East Rise. One person was killed and nine injured. An unexploded bomb near the railway arch caused problems and movement restrictions for two days. At the same time, four bombs fell at Long Lane, St. Stephen damaging three houses and others fell at Porthbear Cliffs, St. Anthony and Penwarne and Penmorvah at Mawnan Smith, but these caused little damage.

13th: Raiders were back over the Falmouth area, but fortunately were off target, most of ten bombs falling into the sea between St. Anthony-in-Menage and Mawnan Smith; four, however, fell on the beach at Swanpool. Four bombs also fell near Land鈥檚 End just after 11 p.m.

14th: Early morning, high explosive and incendiary bombs fell at Borah Farm, Lamorna causing slight damage to buildings.

15th: In the evening, Redruth suffered considerable damage when four bombs fell around Gregg鈥檚 Yard and Sea View Road. About 300 houses were damaged and ten persons injured. In the course of this raid the Redruth Town Band Room was completely demolished. Fortunately, the evening band practice had been cancelled, otherwise the bandsmen would have met the same fate as their instruments - one cornet was later found jammed in the masonry at the top of Redruth鈥檚 Clock Tower. The same evening, three bombs dropped on Melton Farm, Morwenstow where a bungalow and some farm buildings were damaged.

16th: Four bombs fell on Blarnick Camp near Torpoint during the evening, demolishing the Armoury and damaging the Guardroom and Officers Mess. One serviceman was injured.

17th: During the evening, four bombs fell near St. Stephens by Saltash, all of which failed to explode, but over 130 persons living in the 42 houses affected had to be evacuated. Fortunately, neither damage nor casualties resulted.

18th: Minor raids occurred when bombs fell in the sea off Porthoustock, at Restronguet Ferry and at Portgwidden Farm, Feock, no damage or casualties resulted.

20th: Four bombs fell on the cliffs at St. Anthony Head, no damage, no casualties.

23rd: An unwelcome Christmas present of three bombs at Mawnan Smith injured two persons and caused slight damage to a bungalow and a farmhouse.

The year closed almost peacefully.

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