Eighteen Killed in Sherborne Battle of Britain Air Raid

On 30 September 1940 at the culmination of the Battle of Britain the town of Sherborne in Dorset was heavily bombed. There have been numerous attempts to explain why, who was involved and the cost. Many of the assertions have been wrong, as aviation expert Vic Flintham will demonstrate in an illustrated talk at Gold Hill Museum at 2.30p.m. on Tuesday 03 February. Vic is an aviation historian with eight books published to date and three with publishers, one of which is due for publication on 30 January. After a career in health services management he learned to fly in 2001 and accumulated over 700 flying hours throughout Europe. At very short notice he has kindly agreed to fill the vacancy caused by the withdrawal of the planned speaker, through illness in her family.

The human cost of a few minutes’ aerial bombing in the late afternoon of 30 September is apparent from the memorial plaque in Half Moon Street (above). Robert (aged 10), Ronald (5) and Patricia (2) Warren were the children of George and Annie Warren, who lived at 26 Lenthay Close. The house took a direct hit, seriously injuring Annie and also taking the life of 5 year-old Douglas Hunt, an evacuee from London. George was a career sailor in the Royal Navy, serving aboard HMS Warspite in the Mediterranean at the time. Thanks to Rachel Hassall for compiling a life of Annie Warren (1909-2004), one of the Strong Women of Sherborne. Two other children were also among the fatalities: Edward Knobbs (4) and Barry Trask (5). There are details of the lives of all 18 casualties at https://oldshirburnian.org.uk/civilian-casualties-of-the-bombing-of-sherborne-on-30-september-1940/

This daylight raid by a substantial force of bombers accompanied by an equal number of fighter escorts was probably one of the last undertaken by the Luftwaffe. They had found by mid-September that the losses, particularly of experienced aircrew, were punitive. From October they preferred to fly at night, when they were much harder to intercept. German fliers, if they survived being shot down, faced the prospect of spending the rest of the war in a POW camp. RAF pilots on the other hand could be pressed back into service, as was the case for a Squadron Leader from Warmwell near Dorchester who found himself over Sherborne five days after a forced landing near Bath. No doubt this one of The Few will figure in Vic’s talk. This is free to members of the S&DHS, while seats should be available to members of the public from 2.20p.m. on payment of £5 at the door.