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.. May to August inclusive.

May 1941:

In May 1941, the blitz again came to Saltash. Many dwellings were set on fire; a pump and crew came from the anti-aircraft gun battery at Carkeel and firemen and fire engines came from many parts of Cornwall, but were too late to be of much effect.

3rd: In the late evening, four bombs caused minor damage at Rosehill, Penzance, and two sheep were killed at Monkwell Farm, Landrake as a result of two bombs.

4th: Bombs fell at Lensingey Farm.

4th/5th: During the night, RNAS St. Merryn was attacked. Some structural damage was caused - one aircraft was hit and four cottages on neighbouring farms of Lewidden and Pennance were also damaged.

5th: Just before midnight, twelve bombs fell on Leigh Farm, Quethiock, causing damage to a number of cottages. Numerous incendiary bombs were dropped at St. Erney, but produced no fires and no casualties were reported.

6th/7th: During the night, no less than twenty-seven incidents were reported, more than 120 high explosives and hundreds of incendiary bombs being dropped. Incidents ranged from Roskestral, Land鈥檚 End to Bude and Penle Point, Rame. The only casualties reported were six persons who suffered slight injuries when three houses were damaged by blast and splinters. Two houses were damaged at Torpoint, whilst at Castle Park, Tor Farm and Trehan minor damage was caused to buildings. Sixteen bombs fell at Saltash, and over 200 incendiaries and six high explosives fell at Minard, St. Germans, but did no damage. Eleven bombs produced no damage at Porthada, Menheniot.

7th: At about midnight, nine high explosives and one 250 flam (oil bomb) were dropped in the neighbourhood of Clease House, Camelford, but no damage or casualties were reported. At Cawsand village, two bombs demolished two houses and caused minor damage to others, two people being slightly injured.

8th: Five bombs fell at South Petherwin killing one bullock and one sheep, some damage was caused to property. Later the same night, four bombs fell on Tredrossel Farm, causing damage to grid cables and property.

9th: During the night, four bombs fell near Dozmary Pool and six at Carn Farm, St. Austell damaging farm buildings and killing three sheep. At Gover, St. Austell one house was demolished, several others affected and two persons slightly injured. At Trematon, one horse was killed, others were injured and over two hundred head of poultry died. Two parachute mines at Mawnan Smith, caused two deaths and serious injuries to eight persons, where two houses were demolished and eight seriously damaged.

11th: During the night, Trebelsue, to the seaward of St. Mawgan, was a target for some thirty bombs and about 100 incendiaries, which caused damage to farm buildings at nearby Tregustick. A further eighty bombs were dropped on St. Eval and twenty on Portreath Airfield which caused both damage and casualties.

12th: St. Eval was really targeted during the evening, a mixture of more than 200 bombs being dropped. Not all fell on the main target and the surrounding area was liberally spattered with both high explosive and incendiary bombs. Retrospective statistics show that in this raid, 28 bombs were dropped on adjoining farms at Pentire, Bedruthan and Efflins; 17 on Merlin Farm, St. Mawgan and 9 on Higher and Lower Lanherne. Six bombs fell quite a distance off target between Treviscoe and Indian Queens, some fell on Pencarrow, others on Pencrennys Farm, St. Columb, with 7 more at Tredinnick and Churchtown Farm, St. Ervan, killing or injuring a number of bullocks. Considering the severity of this raid, it was indeed fortunate that so little damage was done and that no injuries resulted.

14th: In the early hours, Falmouth, Penryn and R.N.A.S. St. Merryn were bombed. More than twenty bombs were dropped. Three houses were demolished at Falmouth and many others severely damaged at Clare Terrace, Killigrew Street, near the Railway Station, and at Quay Hill, Penryn, where fourteen houses were destroyed and telephone services and gas supplies severely interrupted. In all, twenty persons were killed and thirty injured; Several houses were also damaged at New Quay Hill, Flushing and minor damage was caused at Wayland Farm, Looe.

15th: Some thirteen bombs were dropped at St. Just-in-Roseland, those near St.Ervan causing damage at Tregotland only.

16th: In the early hours, four high explosive bombs fell at Falmouth Docks, damaging a small launch in the sluice pit. Eight bombs fell at Hemmick Beach killing a soldier, injuring two others and damaging two dwellings. One large bomb was dropped on Portreath Aerodrome, but no damage or casualties were reported.

17th: No less than 166 high explosive and over 1,000 incendiary bombs were dropped, of which 42 high explosive and over 800 incendiaries fell in farms in the St. Eval/ St. Mawgan area. At Lower Lanherne there was damage to ceilings, a cow was killed at Lower Trevisker and farm buildings were damaged at Greater Trevisker. There was no damage at either Lanvean or Trevedras. At Trembleath Farm, St. Ervan, underground electricity cables were damaged; the rest of the high explosives found their way into St. Eval airfield, causing some damage.
Electricity supplies at Rumford were interrupted when about 100 incendiaries fell in the area.

In the evening of the same day, 18th May (so the book says), two bombs fell harmlessly into the sea off Falmouth Docks, but one house was damaged when Restronguet was machine-gunned.

18th: St. Eval and it鈥檚 immediate area was again a target, with not only the air station buildings being damaged, but also property in and around St. Mawgan, Lower Lanherne, Trevisker, Lanvean and Trevedras. Over 100 incendiary bombs fell at Rumford and at Trembleath Farm, St. Ervan, interrupting electricity supplies to both places. A child was slightly injured when St. Just-in-Roseland was machine-gunned; bombs also fell in Mylor Creek and other incidents were reported over a wide area, ranging from Quintrell Downs across to Ruddlemoor and down to Land鈥檚 End.

19th: Portleven Pier was the target for ten bombs, two of which fell into the sea; bombs also fell at Hemmick Beach and Cook鈥檚 Farm, Gorran Haven and Marazion where some houses were damaged.

20th/21st: Around midnight, at least 65 high explosives and many incendiary bombs were dropped at places as widely spread as St. Hilary; Zennor; Predannack and the Lizard in the west, and Blisland; St. Neot; Callington and Cawsand in the east where nineteen houses were affected by blast.

(date/s hazy): The raids continued to intensify with a concentration of bombing in the Porthtowan; St, Agnes and Towan Cross areas the following night where more than 100 high explosive and over 500 incendiary bombs fell. Later the enemy came again in greater numbers, some bombs dropped on open moorland but others seriously damaged dwellings at St. Agnes.

Two hundred or so incendiaries fell at Treliever, Penryn causing damage to three houses. Fifteen bombs were dropped at Stithians, killing six bullocks and a pig; four houses were damaged at Goonglaze. No less than eleven bombs fell in and around the moorland village of St. Breward causing damage to the water mains. Several houses were damaged by parachute mines at Chywoon, St. Keverne; and property was damaged at Little Water Farm, Goonhavern and Nathaniel鈥檚 Farm, St. Allen; but no damage resulted from bombs which fell at Engelly and Little Callestick; Zelah; Lanteague and Pengelly Farms, St. Allen and Tresera Farm, Stithians.

27th: A brief raid just before midnight caused minor fires at Porthoustock which were quickly extinguished. A Belgian fishing boat was sunk and several others damaged in Newlyn Harbour. The area was machine-gunned quite severely and a number of the Home Guard received fatal bullet wounds. Several shops and houses were hit; on the credit side the aircraft was hit by fire from the local battery.

28th/29th: During the night, there was a direct hit on a house near Delabole. Six other houses were damaged, but there were no casualties. Two bombs fell on Mulfra Farm, St. John, three more failed to explode but minor damage was done to a few cottages. The farm houses at Trecarne, Advent and Elms, Helston were also damaged, but no damage was reported from incidents at Penally Point, Boscastle, Pendower Beach and Home Farm Stoke Climsland.

31st: Some growing corn was slightly damaged at Trethoke Farm, Lanteglos-by-Fowey in the early hours.

June 1941:

1st: One high explosive bomb damaged nine houses and the railway line between Tomperrow Bridge and Baldhu Signal Box just after 1 a.m.

2nd: In the early hours, the Penzance area became a target, when ten high explosive and a number of incendiary bombs were dropped at Lesinggey Farm and in the vicinity of St. Clare School, where damage was caused to houses and electricity cables. At Rosemorron and Tolver in Gulval, five bombs damaged several houses and killed two cows.

3rd: A cottage was damaged at St. Just-in-Penwith.

7th/8th: During the night, one high explosive was reported as having fallen at Penyraden Point and another on Tregurra Farm, Truro, but no damage was caused.

8th: A severe raid on Penzance caused damage, death and casualties. Just before 11 p.m. the sirens sounded and ten high explosive and a number of incendiary bombs fell. Six houses in Alma Place were completely wrecked, another 30 seriously damaged and about 700 persons were affected. One bomb on St. James Street caused widespread damage affecting some 300 houses. Nine persons, including a Police Sergeant were killed, seven were seriously injured and nineteen less so.

11th: Four bombs fell on Sennen Beach during the morning doing no damage.

14th: Early evening, three bombs, two of which failed to explode, were dropped on Land鈥檚 End Hotel, causing one death and injuring seventeen persons.

17th: In the early hours, one bomb fell on Lanseaton Farm, Lisheard and another near Moor Cottage, Cardinham, but both failed to explode.

21st: In the early hours, five bombs fell will considerably accuracy near Penzance Railway Station and on Taroveor Road. One person was killed, six more seriously injured and three minor casualties. What was described as 鈥渆xtreme damage鈥� was caused to residential and business properties, 250 families were affected because of an unexploded bomb. - One enemy aircraft was shot down.

29th: At 3.20 a.m., seven bombs were dropped at Black Head, St. Keverne and, as part of the same attack, four fell on United Mines at Gwennap and at Perrancombe, all causing minor damage.

July 1941:

3rd: At 1.15 a.m., four bombs fell at Chennalls, Gunwalloe, causing slight damage to the roof of the school and one dwelling. Just after 5 a.m. an enemy bomber, which had probably been hit by anti-aircraft fire unloaded two bombs at Trewilley Sennen; both failed to explode, but a second or so later the aircraft crashed killing the crew.

6th: Two bombs fell in Mount Edgcumbe Park causing no damage, and five more fell near Lerryn, causing only slight damage at Colan Farm.

7th: As a result of four bombs falling at Porth Kea, Truro, the roofs of several houses were damaged.

8th: Two bombs which fell in Falmouth Harbour and four which fell on Trenower Farm, Manaccan, did no damage at all.

9th: During the night, three bombs fell near Antony House, Torpoint, badly damaging the roof of a cottage, causing no casualties. A further seven fell at Larnick Farm, Lezant and Trehelland Farm, South Petherwin, no damage resulted.

11th: Dwelling houses at Trescobeas, Falmouth were machine-gunned in the early hours; There was minor damage to roofs and windows, but no casualties. Presumably as part of the same attack, the R.A.F. Directional Light site at Porthtowan and the Crofthandy area were machine-gunned.

13th: Six bombs fell around Falmouth during the night, causing damage to property at the Docks, Fox鈥檚 Lane, Swanvale and the Golf Course. Two houses were demolished. Again probably as part of the same attack, several bombs were reported as having fallen into the sea off Rinsey Head below Helston.

14th: During the night, four bombs fell in the mudbank of the River Fowey, near St. Winnow Church, fortunately no damage was caused.

18th: At about 2.30 a.m., four bombs fell at Manor Farm, Kerris near Penzance causing no damage.

23rd: At about 12.40 a.m., in the Heamoor area of Penzance, four bombs fell demolishing the Scout鈥檚 Hall and damaging 35 houses. eight bombs also fell at Gilly Wartha and Condurrow Farm, killing a bullock and some pigs and causing damage to roofs and ceilings. At 11.45 p.m., four bombs fell on Trefussis Point, Flushing, damaging three houses.

24th: A short sharp raid during the evening on Falmouth, when four bombs were dropped at Pendennis Point and the area was machine-gunned, but no damage or casualties were reported.

There then followed a ten day lull.

31st: During the night, bombs fell on Lower and Higher Trewince and also on Trebelsue airfield, but caused neither damage nor casualties.

August 1941:

1st: Eleven bombs fell near Pentewan, Mullion and Trewinnard Farm, St. Erth, and windows were broken at Pendragon, Mullion.

4th: Four high explosive and some incendiary bombs fell harmlessly in Newlyn Harbour during the evening.

7th: In the early morning, bombs fell at Newlyn Harbour; Long Rock and Borah Farm, St. Buryan; Those at Borah failed to explode.

15th: Four bombs fell into the sea off Newlyn Pier. Three bombs also fell at Flushing, damaging two houses and four yachts at the Little Falmouth Yacht Yard.

17th: Four bombs fell at Hayle Towans; Two at Penzer Point, Mousehole; Four at Crockers End, Mousehole; Four at Bosvenning and Boskerval Farms, St. Buryan and three at Grills Farm, Sheviock - None did damge or caused casualties.

24th: At 9.30 p.m., five bombs were dropped at Towan and Polglaze Farms, St. Austell.

26th: Four bombs fell at Huthnance Farm, Helston, causing minor damage to glass.

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