Wednesday 10th July 1940 was a beautiful summer’s day. At Falmouth Cemetery mourners and civic officials had gathered for the funeral of the family that had been killed in Sunday’s teatime air raid. As George Pascoe was an ambulance driver his work colleagues had assembled to act as coffin bearers for the family. At 2.35pm Falmouth Police Station received the Red Warning and sounded the air raid siren. Two minutes later bombs were being dropped just a mile away at the Docks. Very soon the ambulance men were being summoned away and other men at the cemetery had to step up to perform their pall bearer duties.
Two German planes had flown in over Mabe and Penryn, raced down the Penryn River, tore over the harbour dropping their deadly load and made away over the Bay. Part of one stick of bombs fell on Trefusis Meadow leaving craters that were visible long after the war had ended. The second stick of bombs fell on four ships at the Northern Arm of the Docks to devastating effect. On the northern side of the arm were Tiara alongside British Chancellor which was next to the quay. On the southern side were Tuscalusa and then outside her was the Marie Chandris. A fifth ship, Luminetta, was being towed past Tiara as the bombs hit.
The Luminetta was undamaged but with tugs fast was shifted by Pilot D Eggins to safety off Trefusis Point. The Tiara, a brand new Anglo Saxon Petroleum Company tanker, was hit and set alight. The tanker British Chancellor was also hit and set on fire. The wooden part of the Northern Arm also caught alight and a five ton crane was destroyed. The Tuscalusa was hit in the fuel tank and became a raging inferno. One report claims a bomb went down the funnel. The vessel began to sink at the stern. The Marie Chandris, a Greek owned vessel, loaded with cotton, caught fire both fore and aft.
Ten were killed and at least 36 were injured, some seriously. Most of the fatalities and injuries were on the British Chancellor. Ena Jose, whose husband was working on the tanker said, “Most of the men with him in the steering flat were killed. He was lucky to escape as he was sitting down; both men standing on either side of him were killed. His dungarees were ripped from shoulder to hem, his shoes were blown off, his face pitted with hot paint and bits of steel and his hair, eyebrows and lashes burnt off.”
Ivor Dunstan was working on the Tuscalusa. He recalled, “ Pandemonium broke out after the loud explosion. I saw debris flying through the air. The North Arm became a mass of flames. Eventually I, along with a number of others, escaped down a rope ladder to a launch which took us safely to Customs House Quay.” Many men jumped overboard, particularly from the Marie Chandris, as this was their only escape from the inferno. A host of small boats picked them up and took them ashore. Many dock workmen jumped onto the Northern Arm but were trapped by the flames. They made their way to the stone section at the end of the wharf and had to be rescued by boat.
George Martin was Mate on the tug Fernleigh. He recalled, “She was undergoing a refit and I was acting as coxswain of the Towing Company’s launch in which I had been instructed to take electricians to the hospital ship Atlantis laid up in the Fal. With me was Mr Cedric Thomas. We were off Penarrow Point when the bombs fell. When we returned to the harbour a column of thick black smoke was rising from the burning ships by the Northern Arm. At the end of the Northern Arm 50 to 100 men were trapped in the concrete section where they had run for shelter. Most were dock workers and many were badly burnt. I, my father in his boat, and another launch rescued these men. ‘Gypsy’ Daniels, a member of the tank cleaning gang, helped many of the injured men to safety and did a wonderful job there at the end of the Northern Arm.”
Charles Jackson, a Trinity House pilot, was one of the heroes of the day. Despite being on a day off, he cycled to the Docks, and after obtaining permission, proceeded to the wharf. He later recalled, “ I cut adrift and boarded the Marie Chandris making fast the tow-ropes from the tugs alone. Then from the tug piloted the vessel from the Docks and beached her near St Mawes. On my return I did the same for the British Chancellor aided by Commander Austin RNR and two young Royal Navy ratings. After towing her out to the North Bank the vessel was anchored clear of all shipping.” The Tiara was pulled clear by the tugs and boarded by pilot Jackson who helped release the hawsers holding her. The Marie Chandris was moved two days later on the high tide to just off Amsterdam Point opposite St Mawes inside the Lugo buoy. There she was grounded and sunk but continued to burn for another day so was on fire for four days in total. The Tuscalusa was towed to St Just Creek.
For the Docks Fire Brigade and the Falmouth Fire Brigade the conflagration was a major challenge. Falmouth Fire Brigade’s log stated, “A general call was sent out on this date when several bombs were dropped on the docks, all of which caused serious damage with extensive fire. The main brigade were represented by Capt. Strongman, Lt Sleeman, Lt Eng J Kevern, and firemen A Rogers, A Rowe, W Chegwidden and JS Leeman. (J Smith was sick.) Several men went afloat to fight the fire from the sea and a total of 17½ hours were put in before any hold could be gained on the fire after two ships had been taken away from the wharf. The jetty was also a source of serious trouble. There were 8 Auxiliary pumps from Falmouth, 1 main engine and 1 AFS from Truro, 1 main and 1 AFS from Penryn, and Redruth relieved in the morning.”
The Falmouth Air Raid Book states 6 ambulances were called along with 2 sitting case cars. Jean Crate, one of the ambulance drivers, recalled holding the men’s wrists to stop them touching their burned faces as they were rushed off to the hospital. Among the injured detained in hospital were William Hodgson from North Shields and Josiah Henry Churchill, both seriously wounded. Also detained were Percy Warren, Henry Birkitt and Stanley Hodge. Discharged after treatment were Llewellyn Jones from Monmouthshire, Arthur Petit from Middlesex, John Muir, William Kendell, George Stamp, John Phillip, Roy Nalder, Eric Schultz, Norman Curtis, Cyril Fisher and Denis Walsh. (This is not a complete list.)
Those who lost their lives from the crew of the British Chancellor were Chief Engineer Officer Charles Halley Lennox. He was the 56 year old husband of Jean and they hailed from Clarkson, Glasgow. Also killed was 2nd Engineer Officer William Joseph Crocker from Portsmouth. He was aged 36, married to Winifred Grace Victoria Crocker and father of Bryan and Auriel. Third Engineer Officer Philip George Lucas Samuels was also killed. He was aged 26, the son of Philip James and Blanch Amelia Samuels of Cricklewood in Middlesex. All three were buried in Falmouth Cemetery. Also killed was 3rd Engineer Officer John Carr, aged 26. He was buried in the Ryhope Road Cemetery in Sunderland.
Falmouth Dock Workers who lost their lives on the British Chancellor were George Eric Bastion, aged 40. An employee of Silley, Cox & Co Ltd, he was the husband of Ida and father of George. The family lived at Jobs Water near Mabe Burnthouse. He came from a family of three brothers and two sisters. He was buried in St Gluvias Cemetery in Penryn. Fitter’s Mate employed by Silley, Cox & Co Ltd Samuel Prowse also perished. According to the Falmouth Charles The Martyr Church Book of Remembrance he died on the 12th, suggesting he succumbed to his injuries. He was aged 64 and the husband of Beatrice Annie Prowse. The couple lived at 77 Tresawle Road, Falmouth. He was buried in Falmouth Cemetery. Walter Samuel Knott was also a Fitter’s Mate employed by Silley, Cox & Co Ltd. He was aged 48 and the husband of Gladys. They lived at 5 Webber Street, Falmouth. He was buried in Falmouth Cemetery in the grave of EJ Nemis from 1892. Also killed was Charles Palin, aged 39, of Falmouth. I have been unable to find any more details of Charles, so if you can supply any please do get in touch. Engine Fitter Henry Arthur Pellow was also killed. He was aged 40 and five years earlier had lost his wife Winifred Maud Pellow. He lived at 14 Bar Terrace, Falmouth. He was an employee of Silley, Cox & Co Ltd and was buried in his wife’s grave from 1935 in Falmouth Cemetery. Also killed was Leonard John Tallack, aged 38. He was the husband of Eileen and the father of Ruth. The family lived at Elmsleigh, Mylor Bridge. He was buried in Mylor Churchyard where Ruth faithfully laid flowers on the grave of her father every year on the anniversary of his death.
The Admiralty recommended Trinity House pilot Charles Jackson for an award for his heroics on the day. In November 1940 the Falmouth Packet carried news of the award of an M.B.E. The British Chancellor was taken into dry dock later in July, repaired and returned to service, finally being scrapped in 1961. The Tuscalusa was refloated on 29th August 1940, towed to St Just Creek and scrapped. The Marie Chandris was finally broken up by Sawle Bros, scrap merchants.
Official war artists were commissioned to record the event. The Bombing of the British Chancellor was done by Charles Sears who lived for a while in St Mawes. Harry Morley did a painting of the British Chancellor in dry dock in October 1940 along with a painting of the SS Tuscalusa and the Northern Arm.
The day after the raid the Falmouth Packet reported that two public air raid shelters were to be constructed on the Moor in the centre of Falmouth. However, Falmouth Council were not impressed with the lack of speed with which Cornwall Council were proceeding with the shelters and reported them directly to the government. The Thursday was a quiet day as far as air raids were concerned.
Friday 12th July saw three more, one in the morning and two in the afternoon, but no damage was reported to shipping. In the third raid at 4.45pm bombs were dropped on Pendennis Castle which was a military site. There was damage to the moat and walls. Windows in the neighbourhood were shattered. There were two craters of about 30 feet in diameter. At the nearby Docks one man was injured by flying shrapnel and was taken to hospital. Bombs were also dropped in Trefusis Woods just across the harbour from the Docks causing several craters but no damage or casualties. The Falmouth Air Raid Book states that Trefusis and Castle Beach were hit. Two men were injured and the ambulance service responded. The Falmouth Packet reported that a wedding in a local Anglican church was proceeding when the bombs were dropped – there being no siren until the bombs were dropped – but being at the moment of the joining of hands when a bomb dropped the bride told the vicar that they would continue with the service! None of the guests left and the lady organist then gave a rousing rendition of Mendelsohn’s Wedding March as the couple walked down the aisle.
Falmouth then had a respite of a week from the air raids. Then on the night of the 19th/20th July came the first night time raid. Reports stated that bombs were dropped in the outer harbour but no damage occurred. It seems that it was this weekend that the first of Falmouth’s Heavy Anti-Aircraft guns were fired in anger. Four Bofors guns had been in action since just after the first weekend of raids. In the early hours of Sunday 21st July two raiders dropped their load on Falmouth. The local press claimed the only damage done was a small crater in a road, but, in fact, the docks had been hit again. The Police record states that one bomb did hit a roadway, but another struck the Western Breakwater and another struck a wooden jetty which was damaged. There were, however, no reports of any casualties. The Falmouth Air Raid Book states that two bombs fell in the water, and two hit the western wharf. It says the Dock railway was damaged and the Stevedore’s Hut was demolished. Later that Sunday afternoon the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers, charged with the defence of Falmouth from the landward side, responded to reports of parachutists dropping. They proved to be unfounded.
Another air raid occurred in the early hours of Monday 22nd July but with no damage or casualties. At lunchtime the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers were informed by the Gun Operations Room that two of the HAA sites had reported seeing parachutes falling. The Fusiliers sent out patrols and informed the Local Defence Volunteers but found nothing to confirm the reports.
On Tuesday 23rd the Fusiliers suffered a casualty when a motorcycle sidecar combination hit a bank at the Penryn reservoir and crashed into the water. The driver and his pillion rider were thrown into the water while the sidecar passenger was thrown onto the road. The pillion rider managed to swim to the bank but the driver, Fusilier Edward Cleminso Miller of Percy Main in Northumberland drowned. He was the son of Christopher and Sarah Miller and was buried in Tynemouth (Preston) Cemetery.
On Thursday 25th July and again on Friday 26th the Admiralty closed Falmouth harbour to all shipping due to the mines that were found in the water. This now explained the parachutes that had been reported earlier in the week. While at times both ships, S-boats and submarines were used to plant mines in the waters around the entrance to Falmouth these had been dropped from the air. The channels were swept before the port could reopen.
A report dated Saturday 27th July stated that Falmouth’s anti-aircraft protection now consisted of an inner ring of four mobile Bofors guns, and twelve 3.7” or 3” guns located in a wider circle firing at fixed points. There were no searchlights and none were expected for six weeks! There were no barrage balloons. They didn’t arrive until 16th August. The final raid of the month took place just after midnight on the night of 27th/28th July. An anti-aircraft barrage was kept up for some time before the guns fell silent. There were no reports of any bombs dropped.
By the end of 1940 Falmouth had suffered 144 air raid alerts with 147 men, women & children being killed either by bombing or from the mines dropped in the coastal waters. By 12th January 1941 Cornwall had been hit by 701 High Explosive bombs, 1127 Incendiary Bombs, 4 Oil Bombs and 1 land mine. By its last raid on 30th May 1944 it had been hit by 3391 HE bombs, 15272 ordinary IBs, 64 Fire Pots, 28 Phosphorus Bombs, 350 Explosive IBs, 32 Parachute Mines and 1 Parachute Bomb causing 143 civilian deaths with 259 seriously wounded casualties and 231 slightly wounded casualties. Military deaths from enemy action on or over Cornwall are thought to number several hundred. There was also an almost incalculable number of Royal Navy and Merchant Navy seamen lost in the waters around Cornwall’s coastline. A visit to any Cornish churchyard or cemetery around the coast will provide evidence of such men paying the ultimate sacrifice.
I conclude as I started. Whilst I fully accept the numbers may be small compared to the losses during the Blitz in some of Britain’s major cities – London, Plymouth, Coventry, Hull, Liverpool, Glasgow, Southampton – the impact in a small and rural community was huge. Almost every family, even in some of the smallest and most isolated of villages were effected. This merely fuelled a quiet determination to see it through to victory and to win the peace for future generations such as ours to enjoy the benefits of their efforts and their sacrifice. We owe that wartime generation so much.
I invoke the words of the Rev T.F. Royds (1880-1964) found on some of our war memorials in Cornwall:
Sons of this place let this of you be said that you who live are worthy of your dead; these gave their lives that you who live may reap a richer harvest ere you fall asleep.
Till next time, Shalom.
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