From the Women’s page by Elvira The level of help at the evacuation of Dunkirk spread far further than just the small ships. Look at some of the things people of Kent gave. Dunkirk Sleep still impossible. I have been idly turning the few pages of “Kent.” There are some portions of great interest referring to the part Kentish towns and villages played during the great evacuation of Dunkirk. It is a little startling to read that at Paddock Wood a bacon cutter cut up 1,500 loaves from the Sunday…
Tag: Local News
Unexploded Bomb on Railway Line
Danger coolly tackled by staff In the South of England an unexploded bomb fell a short distance from a main-line signal box and train services had to be temporarily suspended. As the bomb could not be disposed of immediately, a screen of laden coal wagons was placed on the up-line to enable single-line working on the down-line. Volunteers were asked to work freight traffic past the spot. The traffic and locomotive running staffs volunteered to a man and the crews of down trains from London were equally responsive, refusing to…
Gun Crew who Shot down three Dornier bombers
This is the anti-aircraft gun crew who brought down three Dornier 17 bombers shortly after mid-day on Sunday last. In the picture the crew is celebrating in beverage supplied by the commanding officer. Reported in the Bromley & District Times, September 1940
Recycling at its best
Recycling and re-using was a huge part of life during World War II, we could certainly learn a lot from back them. One particular drive the government pushed through was the salvaging of metals, especially aluminium, which could be used for their potential in the aircraft industry. This is a typical sacrifice that many people are making in town In some towns around the country you may even notice where old iron railings once stood. These were removed for the same purpose. This article featured in the Bromley & District…
Typical Local News Reports from WW2
Here we show a typical page from a local newspaper which, like so many others, had several reports of men missing or killed or prisoners of war. The page from the Bromley & District Times reports on an Air Attack on Dover Harbour, a gift from the Deputy Commissioner of Kent of a mobile canteen for those whose homes are destroyed, the Roll of Honour for the Queen’s Own West Kent Regiment and an obituary for a soldier from Bromley (in this case Pilot Officer John Allen). Source: Bromley &…
Saving for the War Campaign
The National Savings Movement was a mass savings movement that operated in Britain between 1916 and 1978. It was used to finance the deficit of government spending over tax revenues. The movement provided an easy and safe way for ordinary people to save small sums of money, and was particularly active during wartime, when government spending was at its highest. During World War II it was instrumental in raising funds to support the war effort – a War Savings Campaign was set up by the War Office to support the war…
Ramble with a Thrill
Ramble with a Thrill “Bomber Came Out of the Clouds” A lady who was walking with a friend in a park towards a village in Kent described her experiences to the Kentish Times. “A German bomber came out of the clouds. Immediately after anti-aircraft guns went into action, and we walked under the trees until we got to the main road. We decided to make for the village public-house, and order our lunch of shandy and bread and cheese – shandy is better than shrapnel and beer better than bombs! While we were seated…
Thrilling Aerial Dog-Fights over Kent in WW2
Raiders Over Kent —————— Bombers Chased off by R.A.F. and A.A. Gunners ——————- Home Guard “Bag” a Dornier with Rifle Volley ——————- Motorists machine-gunned in Lanes Kent experienced air raids on Friday and Sunday. In the first, damage was caused at Northfleet and there were some casualties, and in the second thrilling aerial dog-fights were seen. Men of a Home Guard posed fired at a Dornier, which staggered a few miles and crashed. On Sunday afternoon a large district in Kent received the unwelcome attentions of a number of German…
German Plane Brought Down
A German aeroplane which was brought down in South East England on Sunday 28th July 1940 [source: Bromley & District Times, 3rd August 1940, page 5]
German pilots buried in Cudham
This story appeared in the Bromley & District Times newspaper in July 1940, recording the funeral of two German airmen who were shot down by Hurricanes of 32 squadron from RAF Biggin Hill (flown by Pilot Officer Peter Gardner, Sergeant William Burley Higgins and Sergeant Edward Alan Bayley). The plane crashed at Baybrooks, Horsmonden after attacking Kenley aerodrome The two pilots were Erich Hoffman (a Flight Engineer) aged 26 years old (grave number NN30) and Waldema Theilig (a Wireless Operator) aged 25 years (grave number NN31) and both were buried…