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.

1940:

July 1940:

On the morning of 5th, the first damage and casualties occurred, when The Grove at Charlestown was the target for three high explosive bombs (throughout this book the word bomb(s) should be taken to mean high explosive bomb(s)). There was damage to property and nine people were injured. Later that day, five bombs were dropped near Falmouth Docks causing slight damage and two minor casualties, and two hours later, three bombs fell in a field perilously near the oil tanks at Torpoint, causing damage to telephone lines.

7th: Early afternoon four bombs fell on Penhale Army Camp at Holywell Bay. Some soldiers were killed and damage done to a number of Army huts.

Late afternoon eleven magnetic mines were dropped in Falmouth Harbour; two hours later three bombs caused damage to the Docks, two tankers were hit and set on fire. There were thirty six casualties and four deaths in the Lister Street area.

8th: Two bombs damaged Falmouth Breakwater.

10th: Falmouth鈥檚 heaviest raid so far; Considerable damage was caused to shipping, one ship being sunk and two others burnt out. Four people died and thirty six were injured, six seriously.

Millbrook and Looe were also attacked as part of a raid on Plymouth, Millbrook being machine-gunned and Looe subjected to eleven bombs. But no casualties in either case.

12th: A lone raider dropped three bombs on Rosehill Farm, Goonhavern killing one bullock and injuring several others.

Torpoint Police Station was extensively damaged when bombs fell on the foreshore near the Torpoint Ferry.

During the afternoon, a raider dropped three bombs at St. Eval and machine-gunned the airfield; The County Controller was at St. Eval and his car was covered with mud from the crater - no one was injured. Another raider dropped two bombs on the outskirts of Truro, damaging three cottages.

15th: Fowey came under attack with three bombs doing little harm, but one that fell in a garden a Bodinnick caused some damage.

This incident is remembered by Mr R.C.Hicks, who now lives in Falmouth, but at the time was a 16 year old pupil at Fowey Grammar School. He had just arrived home at about 4 p.m. when he heard a low-flying aircraft. He ran through the house and, looking out through the front, saw four bombs released; two fell in the river and two on the bank opposite Albert Quay. Fortunately, a ship which had been loaded with ammunition for the British Expeditionary Force in France had sailed the previous day. Windows were broken and craters appeared on the river bank and hillside. Sir Arthur Quiller Couch, who was in his garden, was blown over by the blast; he was not injured, but severely shocked.

19th: During the early hours, twelve bombs were dropped; Most fell in the river , but three fell in Polruan damaging the school, destroying a partly built bungalow and injuring two people.

21st: Magnetic mines were dropped just outside Newlyn Harbour.

Crafthole received two 鈥渃asual鈥� bombs - no damage or casualties occurred.

Later, Falmouth Docks had another short sharp raid in the course of which the Western Wharf was hit.

23rd: Both Torpoint and Falmouth were attacked, but it was more 鈥渟carewarfare鈥� than serious target bombing.

27/28th: Widely scattered incidents occurred during the night, with bombs being dropped in rural areas around St. Allen, St. Erme, Kenwyn, Ladock, St. Wenn and St. Columb; all resulting in slight damage to property but no casualties. Fifteen bombs and one magnetic mine were reported near Kingsand; bombs also fell near the electricity sub-station at Sea View, Fraddon, damaging insulators in the power house. At Bartinney Downs, St. Just in Penwith a farmhouse and several cottages were damaged.

30th: A cottage was damaged when four bombs fell near Scrasdon Fort, Antony.

August 1940:

8th: Twenty two bombs were dropped in a triangle bounded by Truro, Helston and Camborne. Damage was caused to property, and the noise of an enemy aircraft diving onto a bungalow at Gweek, where one person died, was heard throughout West Cornwall.

9th: Glass and growing crops in the villages of Altarnun and St. Juliot 鈥渟hared鈥� the damaging effects of nine bombs dropped in a ten minutes raid just before midnight.

10th: During the night, Tolvaddon, Pool and Penhaluric Farm, Stithians were targets.

Crafthole was bombed again, when two parachute mines caused damage to every house in the village and a small number of persons received minor injuries.

20th: Something like sixty-five bombs and literally scores of incendiaries being dropped on such widely scattered places as Colan, St. Breock, St. Issey, Carharrack, Carthew, St. Austell and Falmouth. Twenty two bombs failed to explode, to present problems in the future.

Falmouth was subjected to a comparatively heavy raid which resulted in one person being killed and nine injured. The minesweeper Resparke received a direct hit and sank by the stern; three tugs were also damaged.

21st: R.A.F St. Eval was the target for a quite concentrated attack by Messerschmitts which caused seventeen casualties and destroyed or damaged a number of aircraft on the ground.

22nd: During a rather hectic late hour, 120 high explosive and incendiary bombs fell in the Perranwell area. Some also fell at Tolcarne near Camborne, at Coverack and at Nancegollan; three persons were slightly injured and damage was caused to Manaccan an Bissoe.

23rd: In the late evening, 83 high explosive and 130 incendiary bombs fell at widely scattered points between Porthleven, Redruth, Lezant, Saltash and Looe. Little damage was caused, although a bomb through the roof of Manaccan Institute destroyed the billiard table.

25th: First real attempt a precision bombing with a stick of 13 bombs dropped in a line from Spit Beach to the Clay Dry on Par Moor; No damage or casualties resulted. During the night, bombs fell on many parts of Cornwall including Carclew Woods, Porth Kea, Pencale Point, Portscatho, Merrymeet, Draynes, St. Gluvias and Halton Quay, which was the only place where damage occurred.

27th Late in the evening, twelve high explosive and a great number of incendiary bombs were dropped on the Falmouth area, but apart from a small heath fire at Pennance Farm no casualties or damage resulted.

28th: Bombs and incendiaries were dropped in the Syanalees, Roche and Withiel areas, very little damage was done and there were no casualties.

29th: Six farms around Fowey were bombed and local firemen dealt with a fire of some magnitude at Lescrow Farm.

St. Eval was attacked, but although five high explosive and a number of incendiary bombs were dropped, no damage was caused. This was due in no small part to the 鈥渄ecoy鈥� constructed on the downs away from the airfield, where at night oil flares were lit to complete the illusion, which attracted a great deal of attention from the enemy.

30th: Raids occurred at Whitstone, St. Teath, St. Columb and Coverack; no damage resulted, except for a hayrick and a few small heath fires.

31st: In the morning St. Teath caught it again, but the bombs all failed to explode; and an incendiary attack, probably intended for Falmouth, resulted in a dwelling house at Budock Vean being burnt out.

September 1940:

In the early days of the month raids occurred at Maker Village, at Polruan were a bungalow was demolished and damage was caused to property at Libby鈥檚 Farm.

4th: One of the largest craters ever seen in the county, measuring some 48鈥� x 20鈥� was created by a large bomb at Ventonleague, Hayle. Not surprisingly, several houses were damaged.

Sporadic raids continued for several days, with Trevose Headland near Padstow, Pillaton, Tregear Barton Farm, Gerrans, Morwenstow, St. Stephens near St. Austell, Porthallow and St. Germans being on the receiving end of two or three scattered, probably jettisoned, bombs.

14th: St. Agnes and Perranporth received 11 high explosive and about 40 incendiary bombs, but these did no damage.

16th: An A.R.P. Warden was slightly burnt when a number of high explosive and incendiary bombs, preobably intended for Davidstow Airfield, landed at Camelford. Also that evening, farm crops were damaged at Heamoor, Penzance, but bombs that fell at Penvose and Polshea Farm, St. Tudy caused no damage.

18th: An intended attack on the anti-aircraft gun emplacements at St. Agnes, missed the target, but Truro firemen had to deal with the resulting heath fire.

20th: Two 500kg bombs, which failed to detonate, fell in Camborne during the evening, one in Trelowarren Street and the other at Rosewarne Park; both were removed within 48 hours.

25th: Stokeclimsland received one bomb in the early hours.

26th: A number of bombs, including two oil bombs, were dropped on Mayon Farm, Sennen, when cattle were also the targets for machine-gun fire, but little or no damage resulted.

27th: In the evening a number of bombs were dropped on Alexandra Road, St. Austell; Two houses were demolished and two others severely damaged. There were two minor casualties. High explosive and several incendiary bombs also fell at both Rame and St. Just-in-Penwith, but did no damage.

28th: Several incendiaries were dropped on Cutmere Farm, Tideford causing no damage.

29th: 250 small incendiaries, somewhat inexplicably, fell in the sea off Penlee Point.

October 1940:

1st: Just after midnight, nine bombs and a number of incendiaries fell in the Perranwell and Rame Cross area; two straw ricks were burnt out at Tregorrick Farm and later in the day raids occurred at Ruanhighlanes and Probus. A straw rick was also destroyed at Trelonk Farm and minor damage was caused at Melancoose, Trewirgie and Barn Farms. There were no casualties.

2nd: Early in the morning, part of a store and Hosking鈥檚 garage were demolished at Penzance when, apart from high explosive bombs, a rather nasty Flam 250 bomb containing 16 gallons of oil was dropped from low altitude. This penetrated the roof of 9 Lanarveth Road, passed through two occupied bedrooms and through the front bedroom window onto the road. The casing of the bomb split open on striking the roof and both bedrooms were splashed with oil. Fortunately, it did not detonate, otherwise a very serious fire would have started, but there was a sad sequel to this incident when a Royal Engineers Sergeant died whilst endeavouring to defuse the bomb. Hundreds of panes of glass were smashed during this raid, which also damaged the railway station and many houses.

3rd: At daybreak, sixteen of twenty bombs dropped on St. Eval, failed to explode; the remainder caused only minor damage, although four persons were injured. A few minutes later, the enemy machine-gunned the cottages at Denzel Downs, near the 鈥渄ecoy鈥� airfield, but no one was injured.

5th; 6th and 11th October (dates of incidents printed in book a bit hazy - see below).

5th: One bomb which fell at Halwood Farm, Quethiock failed to explode, and a short raid in the neighbourhood of Helland and Bodmin Racecourse caused little damage and no casualties.

Almost simultaneously, at about 8 p.m., A young policeman, John Pomeroy (who now lives in Bodmin), was only a few yards away and remembers a lone raider dropped a stick of bombs which demolished the terrace of houses at New Street, Padstow. A man, his mother and his young baby were killed, but there were no other injuries.

Late in the evening of the following day (6th ??), incendiaries fell on Polperro and Trevol Camp, Torpoint. The small fires which resulted were quickly extinguished and no damage resulted. A few hours later, early on the 11th (??) eight bombs fell on Carsawsen Farm, at Mylor causing no damage. Incendiaries also fell between Stickingbridge and Ponsanooth. One, an oil bomb, failed to ignite and was found intact at Blankednick Farm, Perranarworthal, only about 150 yards from the Truro-Falmouth branch railway line. One bomb failed to explode at Shillingham, near Torpoint.

9th: Falmouth, St.Eval and St. Merryn were targets for more than one hundred bombs. At Falmouth the Wesleyan Chapel on the Moor received a direct hit, six persons were killed and seventeen seriously injured. Government property was also damaged at both aerodromes, but no casualties were reported. At the same time damage was also caused at Coverack.

14th: St. Eval was the target for nearly forty bombs, but no casualties or damage resulted.

15th; 16th & 17th: A 鈥渢hree night blitz鈥� in the Landrake and St. Germans areas was of nuisance value only.

22nd: Late in the evening, a parachute mine exploded just off Rame Head, causing slight damage to glass in the vicinity.

27th: The St. Keyne and Downderry areas received both high explosive and incendiary bombs.

November 1940:

3rd: A parachute mine exploded at Lansallos Cliff, Polperro, but caused no damage.

7th: A 鈥渘asty raid鈥� occurred on Penzance, when 60 bombs fell in the business and residential areas. A main road was closed for three days because of an unexploded bomb, and the Union Hotel had a lucky escape when a bomb, which failed to explode, fell within a few feet of some underground petrol tanks. Three persons were killed and sixteen injured as a result of this raid.

8th: At about 10.30 p.m. eighteen high explosive and incendiary bombs fell in the neighbourhood of St. Keverne and Porthoustock, but neither damage nor casualties were reported. A measure of retribution came that evening when a Dornier 217 aircraft crashed in flames on the Boconnoc Estate near Lostwithiel killing all the crew.

11th: the Royal Naval Air Station at St. Merryn was bombed; Some damage was caused and the windows of nearby cottages were shattered, but there were no casualties.

24th: Just after midday, Falmouth Road, Redruth was machine-gunned as was St. Michael鈥檚 Mount during the evening. Casualties were slight, although one boy at Redruth was quite seriously injured. This day, too, was unlucky for the raiders, who lost three aircraft; Two were shot down into the sea off Kynance Cove and Falmouth Bay, and one which fouled a barrage balloon cable at Falmouth crashed in flames.

26th: Mines were laid by the enemy in Falmouth Bay, and ships in the harbour were the target for machine-gun fire, but no casualties were reported.

27th: In the early evening, under cover of darkness, the enemy machine-gunned a trawler off Porthoustock, following which a terrific explosion caused several ceilings to come down. Wreckage of an enemy 鈥榩lane was subsequently washed up on the beach. Southdown, Millbrook also had an incendiary attack later the same evening.

December 1940:

1st: An incident which occurred at about 7 o鈥檆lock in the evening had a rather amusing postscript. A parachute mine dropped on St. George鈥檚 Island, Looe, caused a fair amount of damage to unoccupied houses and also houses at Hannafore. Mr. Donald Graham, who still lives in Looe, remembers when the bomb hit the top of the island causing a 鈥渉uge鈥� explosion. Later the enemy were to claim they had sunk H.M.S. St. George !

During the lull over the Christmas period, no doubt countless experiences were recounted in countless blacked-out homes. The following light-hearted tale is told by Mr. Eddie Gregor, who now lives at Threemilesstone, Truro, but who lived at Fraddon during the war and was a Sergeant in the Special Constabulary:

鈥� While on duty one night during the period St. Eval was getting such a 鈥減asting鈥� from the enemy, I was near Fraddon Post Office.. It was after midnight and very still when I was startled by the sound of heavy gunfire coming from the direction of St. Eval. I ran to the nearby
telephone kiosk and asked the operator at Fraddon Exchange, if there was a 鈥淩ED鈥� on. 鈥淣o鈥� he said 鈥淏ut I can hear those guns.鈥� Fortunately, I decided to investigate further before raising the alarm. As I ran toward Parka Hill to get a better view of the Airfield, the 鈥済unfire鈥� appeared to be increasing in intensity; then as I was passing the outbuildings of Kerris Farm, I found that I was also passing the 鈥渟ound of gunfire.鈥� It turned out that the farmer鈥檚 old sow had got the 鈥渋tch鈥� and was rubbing herself vigorously against a cast-iron pig trough, lifting and then bumping it down on a concrete floor. When I called back to the exchange operator and told him the news, he fell about laughing; my colleagues at St. Columb Police Station also seemed to find the event a subject for great hilarity.鈥�

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