Thread: The War Years
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Old 9th February 2019, 15:07
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that the Germans dropped the largest bomb on the city, which fortunately did not explode, the bomb named SATAN, a 4,000 pound monster, which fell at Beckington Road, Knowle, measured 8ft 11 in long (without tail) and 2ft.2in in diameter. When the bomb disposal unit recovered it in April 1943 they had to dig down 30 feet. Satan rode in the Victory parade through London. . Not the plan the Germans had for the bomb. People killed in these raids were 149 dead and 260 injured.

5 January 1941.
Avonmouth was the target again this night; the attack began just after 7:15 pm, and was concentrated on Avonmouth docks. German records confirm that a 103 aircraft were over the target that dropped 82 tons of H.E. Bombs and 735 incendiaries containers (26,460 small bombs). The raid ended at 10:00 pm. One man died in the raid from Shirehampton.

10 January 1941.
A short raid on Shirehampton lasted 2 hours and 15 minutes, 6:30 pm to 9:15 pm. Two H.E. Bombs were dropped in the center of the village, and one up on Penpole place, near the army camp.

16/17 January 1941. Avonmouth Blitz.
Bristol had something of a respite from the bombing from mid-January to the end of February 1941.but not so for Avonmouth. Germany confirmed that Avonmouth was the main target and planned a concentrated attack on the docks. A 126 aircraft dropped 124 tons of H.E. Bombs and 1.480 incendiary containers (53.280 bombs) on the docks and surrounding area, not a house or street in Avonrnouth came through unscathed. The raid lasted 11 hours, from 7:08 pm unti15:39 am the next morning with only a lull in the bombing around mid-night, people thought the nightmare was over, but the planes were back for a repeat performance. The pathfinder planes came first dropping the flares to light up the ground, followed by waves of planes dropping incendiaries, and last but not least came the bombers bringing the H.E. bombs. Considerable damage was done to the dock and the village, 50 homes were destroyed, and bombs hit several ships. The Parish Church was gutted by fire bombs, in West Town near the entrance to the dock the whole village was leveled, 200 hundred people lived there, they were evacuated while the raid was in progress, the damage was so bad they never re-built the village. In comparison with the violence of the attack, the following casualty list was light; seven people lost their life.

22 February 1941.
Today's raid was very short lasting a mere 13 minutes, and was the one, which gave the people of Avonmouth and Shirehampton the most gratification. It was a wet and blustery day when the alert was given at I: 59 pm. As a German Heinkel approached Avonmouth from the Bristol Channel. Almost immediately the Ack Ack Gunners at Port bury opened up and had a direct hit on the aircraft, it banked over Avonmouth spraying the area with machine gun fire as is began to drop, there was a loud twanging noise as the plane hit the wires on the barrage Balloon then it crashed onto the mud on the bank of the river. The only survivor was the pilot who parachuted to safety, the rest of the crew was killed on impact. The bodies of the observer and flight engineer were recovered and buried in Greenbank Cemetery in Bristol, the remains of the gunner and radioman was never found. Later it was learned that the target for this aircraft was the aircraft works at Yate.

27 February and 7 March 1941.



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