31st August 1940

My day to go to Maidenhead. Awakened by sirens at 8 o’clock, so I rushed up to the Castle unwashed and unfed. While I was on the roof a big flock of planes came over from the W. at a great height, and I could hear machine gun fire, and suddenly in the midst of it the scream of falling bombs. One bomb had fallen slap in the middle [of Roman Road] at the top end, near Castle Road, right outside the house where Councillor Cross lives. The next bomb fell on two old timber cottages in Land Lane, next to Maydays, and demolished them, though miraculously without injuring the occupants. A third bomb was in a yard at the back of Boast’s, the Coach builder, on East Hill, which damaged a house on East Hill and slightly injured a woman. [Later note]: (She died about a year later). A fourth bomb was in a field in Whitehall Road, and a fifth on the Sewage Works, where a pipe was broken. Scores of incendiary bombs also fell, doing little damage, at the bottom of Brook St. Others were in Land Lane and Magdalene St. and Barrack St., all quite harmless. As soon as we got an All Clear I went off to see the damage, and then went round to Rose’s to get some breakfast. Having heard of incendiary bombs near Paxman’s, I decided to go down to see if the stables were damaged, but no sooner had I got there then the sirens went again, so back to the Castle. ... I decided to catch the 5.35 to London, but found it had been cancelled. The next was the 6.13, but at 6 o’clock there was another alarm, and all passengers were made to shelter in the new subways. Jack Geerneant was there going back from a fortnight’s leave from Stanmore Aerodrome. The London train came in, so we travelled together in company with a private in the Coldstream Guards and a very drunk Scottish engineer in the R.N.V.R. The train crawled along at 15 m.p.h. as far as Ingatestone, where an All-Clear was given, and finally got to Liverpool Street at 8.30. I went to have a drink with Jack, and got across to Paddington at 9.15, to find no train before 10.5, and that would not get to Maidenhead before 11. I tried to ring Aunt’s next door neighbour to explain this, but could not get through, and almost at once a dreadful amplifier arrangement in the roof announced another raid. The train left sharp on time. At Taplow we could see searchlights wandering all over the sky, and leaving Maidenhead Station I heard with a sinking heart the familiar hum of a German plane. Even here there was no escape from them. 

Events on 31st August 1940 marked the largest operation to date by the Luftwaffe in the course of the Battle of Britain. For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 31st August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

30th August 1940

Alarm today at 4.15pm when more than 200 people came into the Vaults. Hot day. 

For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 30th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

29th August 1940

Took Molly back to Blake’s at 8 o’clock this morning. (I had meant to go at 7, but of course overslept). Maura Benham most kindly came over with me, thus relieving a most tedious journey. I rode the cob, just to show I could. When I got there Blake’s horseman admitted that they had had a lot of trouble with her, and that she was quite useless on a milk round. There were a lot of Germans over tonight about 10 o’clock, so I went up on the Castle to await an alarm. There was a bright light showing through a window at the Hippodrome, so I reported it at the Police Station, but no action was taken. I waited until 11 o’clock, but no sirens sounded, so I went home. Windy and cold. 

For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 29th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

28th August 1940

An alarm today at 1 o’clock, while I was alone at the Castle. I had to remain on duty at the gate, and so was prevented from seeing a plane brought down near West Bergholt. Many planes were over tonight, and bombs could be heard in the distance. No sirens. Maura Benham came to the Castle with me this evening, and helped to clean my mail-phaeton. 

For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 28th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

27th August 1940

Heard today that the parents are determined to come home at the end of this week, so I must bow to the inevitable.

To Rose for supper. A cold windy day.

In a letter to Colchester's Mayor (Ald. Sanders), dated 27th August 1940, Eric provides more information on shelter provision for horses in Colchester during air raids:

... Further to our correspondence regarding shelters for horses, I see that a considerable number of stables, yards, etc. about the town are now labelled for that purpose. From what I hear, the provision of stabling has been much appreciated. I know that two or three horses have been in my places at Bourne Mill and Port Lane during several of the recent raid alarms. ... Mr. Watts tells me he has had quite a number in his place in Military Road.
I feel, though, that a great deal more must be done at the Hythe. I am told by an eye-witness that they had a very unpleasant time when the bombs fell just across the river last Monday. All the horses were in the open, and the drivers had to run out at once to prevent them from bolting, in spite of the fact that other bombs might have been falling. ...

For more information on Eric's battle to get air raid shelter provision for horses see his journal entries for 10th July 1940 and 21st July 1940.

26th August 1940: Aerial Battle over Colchester

Tremendous air-battle this afternoon, about 3 o’clock. The sirens sounded, and we had a full crowd in the Vaults. I went up on the roof, and very soon the air seemed full of the screaming of falling planes. We have all heard the sound so often on films that it really seems quite natural, and one tends to forget that is real, and that you are watching young men go down to a particularly unpleasant death. We could see burning planes to the E., W., and S., and I saw one of our fighters make a forced landing in the E., somewhere near Gt. Bromley I should think. All this took place in brilliant sunshine. To Rose for supper.

For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 26th August 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP

25th August 1940

Had lunch with Rose, and then called on Poulter to tell him all the news and hear what had happened in my absence. He had trouble with an Air Raid Warden who tried to assume control of the Castle, and Hull had become more trying than usual. Went on to Seymour’s this evening. An ambulance from his depôt was sent out to Abberton yesterday, but there was nothing to save. One man escaped by parachute.