19th August 1940

I was up in the plantation at Humberlands this afternoon, trying to put out a fire in the under-growth there, when I heard a plane and two loud bombs. The plane flew right over the plantation, which was very scaring, and I lay down flat in the lowest part of it, but no more bombs were dropped. There were no sirens blown anywhere, of course. This evening the Brantham sirens sounded an alarm from 5 till 6.30, but only a few planes came over. Later I heard that the two bombs I heard were in High Woods, Colchester, and that about 5.30 this evening bombs fell on Hythe Quay. This is very alarming. There were a lot of planes over tonight, and bombs could be heard falling in several places. The weather is much cooler, and a high wind is beginning to blow. For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 19th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP