The Folly 25/04/1942
During the Spring of 1942 the Luftwaffe launched it's Baedeker offensive against some of Englands most historic cities, the name for the offensive being derived from the pre-war travel guide said to have been used to select the targets. Hitler had ordered the attacks in retaliation for raids carried out on Lübek and Rostock by RAF Bomber Command.
On the night of the 23rd April Exeter was attacked and again on the 24th, the following night the offensive moved onto the Georgian city of Bath. At around 10:25 on the 25th April the first Luftwaffe aircraft crossed the English coast at Bridport, Dorset. The bulk of the raiding force commenced the attack on Bath at 11:20, some aircraft having strayed over the south eastern edge of Bristol. It is highly probable that an aircraft briefed to attack Bath was responsible for dropping several bombs on 'The Folly' on the western edge of Chippenham. Although bombs had been dropped in the district before these were the first to cause casualties. The following is the eyewitness account of a Mrs Hussey who lived close to where the bombs fell;
On this Saturday night Len and I had stayed up reading until about II pm, the young Air Force officer and his wife, who are staying with us, having gone to bed. I then went up and had my bath and whilst in it the siren sounded and a few seconds afterwards there was a frightful roar of a plane dive-bombing and an awful crash which shook the house and all the lights went out. One literally felt the house rock. I dashed out and put on ray dressing gown and called to Len to find out if he was safe. He said he was but that the windows were blown out. We found that the French windows of the lounge were blown in and bent and the glass thickly flung in splinters all over the carpet and furniture. The kitchen ceiling was down and we later found that most of the upstairs ceilings were badly cracked. The veranda ceiling was down too, but that was the extent of the damage.
In a few moments, we heard people running up the drive and Mr. McKissock and Mr. Guy (followed by Mrs. Guy) and carrying the little boy and girl, called out, “Oh do please help us; we have been bombed out". The poor children were crying and the little boy had a nasty cut on his brow. They were followed by Mrs. Peazant, poor Miss Bowden whose father and mother were buried under their charming little house which had had a direct hit and who herself had been blasted out into the roadway; the Northover's, Mrs. N. being badly cut about the face, the back and very badly on her buttocks; her very old sister, suffering from shock; Mrs. Rogers and Marion, quite alright but frightened, and half a dozen other people badly shocked most of them having been asleep when the bombs fell. Then in came A.R.P. men, First Aid folk, Dr. Laurence, nurses etc. until the house was full. During all this in and out we only had torches and candles and had to be very careful not to show a light in case of further trouble. We made tea for about an hour as the gas stove still operated weakly, the Bath gas company having had a direct hit. (We are now entirely without gas and have to do all sorts of odd cooking). The police Sergeant, who was one of the kindest men I have known in such an emergency, came in and told Len and me that the poor Mother had been dug out of the ruins dead, and later that the Father had too, and asked us to tell the daughter, who was very brave. Mrs. Northover was taken off to hospital but the rest of us stayed together until the morning when we gave them a light breakfast, tea being much in request. We had three 'alerts1 during the night as the raid was on Bath.
Altogether four bombs were dropped, two being small bombs and two, they said, 1000 pounders.
Four houses beyond ours up the road towards the cross-roads are repairable, but the others are gone beyond it. How the people got out of their houses alive you wonder when you see the wrecks. The daughter was blown out of her ruined house unharmed, though very shocked. She was actually sitting at the table with her mother at the time. Len might have been cut with glass in the lounge had he not just opened the front door; they say the draught he thus created helped to save our windows and walls.
Well, here we are, very thankful for our safety.
On Thursday 30th April Frederick Bowden, 73 and his wife Ada Elizabeth Bowden were laid to rest at St Nicholas Church, Hardenhuish, Chippenham.
Source: ATB The Blitz Then and Now Vol 3,bathblitz.org,Eyewitness account/bomb damage photo - Marion Hurst (nee Rogers) via Robin Hardie