20th August 1940

Went down to Dedham early to do some shopping, and found a Co-op motor-van, from the driver of which I learnt that the bombs yesterday fell on the Moler Works, but did little damage and injured nobody. The Moler Works was a brick making factory at Hythe Quay, Colchester. While working in the water-cress beds this morning I heard a good many bombs fall somewhere towards Harwich. Sirens blew from 3-4pm and again at 6pm. About 6.30 I was changing in my room when 5 heavy bombs fell in a wood about a mile away, sending me downstairs very quickly. We all went to supper at Mr. and Mrs. Rose’s, who live in a nice little thatched cottage at Lamb Corner, Dedham. I was specially asked in order to give an opinion on some “pottery” which had been found nearby, which disappointingly turned out to be only pieces of land drains. While we were having supper there was a tremendous explosion, and the windows blew open. This was apparently a delayed action bomb at Langham going off. [Before the war] Mrs. Rose was something to do with the League of Nations, and Mr. Rose was an artist. She is now a proof-reader at a printing works in Brantham, while he is a cowman on a farm. Home to Sherbourne Mill in a dark windy night, the first touch of autumn.
  If anyone has any information on Stuart Rose and his wife, Dodo Rose, who Eric meets for the first time in this diary entry, please let me know as I would like to find out what happened to them after the war - thanks, CP.  
For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 20th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

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