News today confirms that there were tremendous raids in London yesterday, and at least 400 were killed.
And so the long waited for day comes at last, when the great ARP organisation goes into action. The extraordinary thing is, why did the Germans wait so long? If it is as easy as this, why did they not bomb London a year ago? Even more harm could have been done. Alarm from 11.50 – 1.30pm. Only 35 came in. Went to sleep this afternoon. Supper with Rose.
7th September 1940: The first day of the Blitz
There was an alarm on this afternoon at 5.30. I was at Bourne Mill, and there were some little girls playing in the next field. They took no notice of the siren at all. 126 people went into the Castle Vaults.
Had supper with Rose, and was much disturbed by the number of planes going over from W. to E. about 10 o’clock. The radio news tonight says there have been severe raids on London today. Between 10 and midnight there was heavy firing down on the coast. I felt more frightened than I have done for some time, and went to the Castle for a while to see if an alarm was sounded but none came. There was some excitement in the town during the evening, and apparently an invasion scare is in progress. All soldiers were fetched out of the pubs by the Military Police, and the Home Guard were called out. I saw several lorry loads of soldiers going into the Park about half past 10, to man the strong points there, and another detatchment went into the stable yard at Port Lane.
It seemed to me a most unlikely night for an invasion, as the weather is cold and windy.
The major raids on London on 7th September 1940 were a result of the German Luftwaffe's change of tactics as they switched their attention from attacking aerodrome sites to a full scale attack on London. The 7th September 1940, therefore, marked the opening day of the London Blitz, that would last for the next 9 months. For more detail on events in the Battle of Britain for 7th September 1940 see the Battle of Britain Diary Day by Day and the Battle of Britain Memorial website. CP
6th September 1940
Three alarms today, 9.30-10, 1.25-1.50, (right in my lunch hour), and 6.30-6.45, which caught me in Jacklin’s having tea, which I had to leave unfinished. Very few people came in for any of these.
Attended a meeting tonight in the Mayor’s Parlour on Horse ARP. All the prominent horse owners in the town were present (and me!) and we sat from 7pm till half past 9 listening to Murphy [the vet in charge of ARP arrangements for animals], Orchard and Rendell talking the most utter rubbish I have ever heard.
The Mayor sat there like a hero, never showing the slightest sign of the boredom and annoyance which he must have felt. Finally he got Orchard down from £100 to £25 for the job of fixing 60 or 70 iron rings in various pub yards. The total cost for the whole job should not be more than £5, but the Borough Engineer’s Dept. now has the matter in hand, which makes a slight difference. No doubt this will be one of those useful little jobs which can be used as a “cover” for the deficiencies in other jobs.
There was a great argument about the number of horses in Colchester. Murphy said he could only trace 137, (including 60 on the Co-op), but I said there were at least 300, and was quite unbelieved. However, as soon as I got home I looked up my old notes on horses, and found I was right, although there have been sad losses in the last few years, but against them not a few fresh horses have come in.
From the tone of this meeting it is obvious that Murphy, aided and abetted by Nicholson of Drury Farm, are going to obstruct as much as possible. It was agreed to levy a charge of so much per horse from each owner, to pay Orchard’s £25 and the cost of printing cards giving a list of all stables available for shelter.
Rang Parrington tonight about flails and corn chaff.
[EJR included an estimated list of the number of horses and ponies in Colchester in September 1940 at the end of his diary entry for today as follows]:
Brewers (and Mineral water manufacturers): 8
Builders: 3
Butchers: 2
Carters: 25
Coal-merchants: 45
Forage merchants: 70
Grocers/Bakers: 32
Milkmen: 23
and c.40 farm horses and c.60 Co-op horses
For more information on Eric's campaign to gain air raid protection for horses see his previous diary entry for 10th July 1940.
Attended a meeting tonight in the Mayor’s Parlour on Horse ARP. All the prominent horse owners in the town were present (and me!) and we sat from 7pm till half past 9 listening to Murphy [the vet in charge of ARP arrangements for animals], Orchard and Rendell talking the most utter rubbish I have ever heard.
The Mayor sat there like a hero, never showing the slightest sign of the boredom and annoyance which he must have felt. Finally he got Orchard down from £100 to £25 for the job of fixing 60 or 70 iron rings in various pub yards. The total cost for the whole job should not be more than £5, but the Borough Engineer’s Dept. now has the matter in hand, which makes a slight difference. No doubt this will be one of those useful little jobs which can be used as a “cover” for the deficiencies in other jobs.
There was a great argument about the number of horses in Colchester. Murphy said he could only trace 137, (including 60 on the Co-op), but I said there were at least 300, and was quite unbelieved. However, as soon as I got home I looked up my old notes on horses, and found I was right, although there have been sad losses in the last few years, but against them not a few fresh horses have come in.
From the tone of this meeting it is obvious that Murphy, aided and abetted by Nicholson of Drury Farm, are going to obstruct as much as possible. It was agreed to levy a charge of so much per horse from each owner, to pay Orchard’s £25 and the cost of printing cards giving a list of all stables available for shelter.
Rang Parrington tonight about flails and corn chaff.
[EJR included an estimated list of the number of horses and ponies in Colchester in September 1940 at the end of his diary entry for today as follows]:
Brewers (and Mineral water manufacturers): 8
Builders: 3
Butchers: 2
Carters: 25
Coal-merchants: 45
Forage merchants: 70
Grocers/Bakers: 32
Milkmen: 23
and c.40 farm horses and c.60 Co-op horses
For more information on Eric's campaign to gain air raid protection for horses see his previous diary entry for 10th July 1940.
4th September 1940
There was an alarm at 9am, and bombs fell in the distance towards the South. Another at 9.30 tonight, lasting on to just after midnight.
3rd September 1940
There was an alarm from 10.15 – 11am, only 78 came in. Another alarm 9 – 10.30pm. Only 8 in, and they did not stay. Beautiful fine hot day. Park crowded.
2nd September 1940
Found the [railway] line at Shenfield is likely to be blocked for a day or two, [owing to an unexploded bomb].
An alarm this afternoon from 4.45 – 5.30. 137 people came in. We get quite big crowds in daytime. “All Clear” sounded conveniently in time for tea.
An alarm this afternoon from 4.45 – 5.30. 137 people came in. We get quite big crowds in daytime. “All Clear” sounded conveniently in time for tea.
1st September 1940
This morning Maitland [Eric's cousin] and I walked down by the River [at Maidenhead], watching boats go through Bouter’s Lock, and after lunch went over to say goodbye to Margery [Eric's cousin] at Shurlock Row.
Margery’s cousins from Chelmsford were there, and it was an impressive fact that [there was] not a single person present but what had been too near to a bomb for comfort. Even Shurlock Row has continual planes over every night looking for Waltham Aerodrome. So far as I know they have only hit it once. Chelmsford has had two or three people killed, and several bombs right in the town.
We all sat in the garden for half an hour in the sunshine, and I ate plums fallen on the grass, as I used to do as a child. Then we all left, and back to Maidenhead to tea and then down to the station.
The train [from London] stopped at every station [the journey was diverted to avoid an unexploded bomb on the railway line at Brentwood], and we did not reach Colchester until 9.30pm.
Margery’s cousins from Chelmsford were there, and it was an impressive fact that [there was] not a single person present but what had been too near to a bomb for comfort. Even Shurlock Row has continual planes over every night looking for Waltham Aerodrome. So far as I know they have only hit it once. Chelmsford has had two or three people killed, and several bombs right in the town.
We all sat in the garden for half an hour in the sunshine, and I ate plums fallen on the grass, as I used to do as a child. Then we all left, and back to Maidenhead to tea and then down to the station.
The train [from London] stopped at every station [the journey was diverted to avoid an unexploded bomb on the railway line at Brentwood], and we did not reach Colchester until 9.30pm.
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