Wednesday, 14 June 2017

Outrage in the Capital


A Gotha G-IV

Thursday 14th June 1917

News has reached us at the front of the bombing raid on London yesterday. The barbarism of the enemy reached new proportions when German aircraft of the Gotha G IV type dropped their bombs on the capital. Reports state that 162 have been killed and 432 injured. The swinishness of this indiscriminate attack is seen by the fate of Upper North Street Primary School in Poplar - hit by a bomb eighteen of its little attendees were killed, most of them between the ages of four and six. The outrage caused here is palpable with many men to whom I have spoken vowing to make the “baby-killers” pay the highest price imaginable.

The 7th Battalion, Bedfordshire Regiment is in the front line near Chérisy. The adjutant telephoned me with some satisfaction this afternoon reporting that 378 gas projectors had been discharged from Wood Trench, on the flank of their unsuccessful attack on 3rd May, it may be remembered. Around two hundred Germans were subsequently seen being stretchered away. “That’s for the children in Poplar” he remarked with some vehemence.

Source: X550/8/1

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