A Very Near "Call"
The narrator - lost in the mist
| A
bonus school holiday came after the first bomb fell on the village.
[one may think this wrong, initially, but schools were kept open through
the holidays to ease family arrangements at the time] On August
20th 1940, a 250 lb high explosive bomb fell on the Courteenhall Road
just outside the school main gate - it did not explode but made a crater
in which part of it could be seen ... The 'hole' was discovered when two
men walking down the road in the dark on their way to work almost fell
into the hole ... (I would love to know what they said to each other?).
Having raised the alarm the area was evacuated, and a six-foot high sand
bag wall was erected around the crater. There was one touch of comedy
however, for it was reported that the two Wardens on duty had spent the
night on the village seat under the Elm Tree nearby, but swore that they
never heard the bomb drop within a few yards of where they were sitting
(or sleeping?) 'Good old Dad's Army'... but how lucky they were ... The
bomb was duly taken away and exploded in the local stone pits.
A little more formal - entries in George Freeston's Diary Tuesday 20th Unexploded bomb outside Council School. Mrs. W. informed me confidentially that a party of Germans had landed England.} Friday 23rd Cloudy but nice day. Great excitement at home again. A German plane came over low, and machine gunned the station buildings. Bomb still silent.} Saturday 24th Was called on duty at 7.30 together with all L.D.V. and A.R.P. to evacuate people and sandbag the bomb in. Worked feverishly till 12 midnight. R.A.F. are coming to do the rest of the work. Sunday 25th Got up at 4.30. R.A.F. boys commenced operations. Removed bomb safely by 8.30 then took it up to the stone pit and exploded it at 9.20. Worked on sandbags in morning. |