80th annviersary since the September bombing of Swansea

7^th September 2020, marks the 80^th anniversary of the first night that the German Luftwaffe bombed London, resulting in the first night of the Blitz.

The continuation of the bombing lasted for a further 57 consecutive nights.

After the successful occupation of France, June 1940, it was only a matter of time before Hitler turned his attention on to the United Kingdom.  During June, vessels in the English Channel, had been attacked, and over the skies aerial battles had been waged.  These battles were in anticipation to wear the Royal Air Force down.  However, the air battles which we to become known as the Battle of Britain did not fail to cripple Britain’s air power.

Hitler had to change his strategies as the land invasion was ruled out.  Instead, he choice sheer terror as his weapon of choice.

The British intelligence had an inkling that there was a coming bombing.  Evidence was seen by large scale movement of German barges in the Channel and the interrogation of German spies.

During the first night of the bombing, 300 German bombers had attacked London, during the day, the bombers the London docks had suffered the onslaught of the bombing where 337 tons of bombs, and there were 448 civilian deaths.

However

1^st September 1940, Swansea was to suffer to that date the largest bombing raid to date.  251 High Explosive bombs and over 1000 incendiaries bombs had been dropped.  115 people had been injured with 33 deaths.

The Evening Post of the 3^rd September 1940, wrote

“Fire crews were combating a blaze at a school on the hill (Mayhill School), when one of the raiders came down and machine-gunned them. The firemen had to take refuge under the fire-engine.”

 

“Before the night was out high-explosives bombs had been dropped apparently without regard for military objectives, in all parts of the town, many of the streets being strewn with debris and glass.”

 

“Fires were raging at a big hotel (Pembroke Hotel, St. Helens Rd), in a large commercial office building nearby, and at two warehouses in the centre of town. An incendiary bomb caused a fire in the offices of the railway station but did not affect the track.”

 

“A family of five were wiped out in one house in a purely residential area (28 Russell Street). Three girls were buried by debris when their house was struck by a bomb. They were dead when a rescue party reached them”.

 

“The raid lasted some hours, during which the roaring of planes overhead was almost continuous, punctuated by the gun barrage and the deep explosions of bombs”.

 

Ida Davies who lived at Broadway, Sketty had gone to her family home at Russell Street, where the house was hit. Her family, which included her father, Reginald John Jones (55), mother, Mary Kate (56), brothers, Kenneth (16), Alan Hirwain (12), and her daughter Jean Margaret Davies (6) were killed. Ida was rescued but she died the next day at Swansea Hospital. They are all buried at Oystermouth Cemetery.