HISTORY
YES, 80 YEARS AGO WAS BOMBED! earsSHERBORNE ago Sherborne was bombed!
By Paul Birbeck, Walks Tour Guide eck, Sherborne WalksSherborne & Blue Badge & Blue Badge Tour Guide.
school buildings. Luckily, as the raid was late afternoon, all the pupils had gone home. Whilst there was extensive damage to the town and disruption to utility services, none of the key buildings were destroyed and all were restored.
was by dead-reckoning and the bomber crews would have been told to look out for easily recognizable landmarks to check their position and find their targets. Having mistaken Sherborne for Yeovil, their targeting was very accurate except they had picked the wrong town.
Several detailed references have been published about the event. The late Jim Scofield wrote a booklet to commemorate the 75th Anniversary of the Bombing which was published by Sherborne Museum. The Museum also has oral histories relating to the town bombing in their oral archive The question is, why was a quiet historic and website. On permanent display are market town targeted? artifacts, including the nose cone of a The German Luftwaffe had launched a bomb which dropped, pieces of shrapnel In 1940, Britain was at war against Nazi major attack on the aircraft factories of andwas material relating to a local ARP Yes, 80 years ago Sherborne bombed! Germany. On 30 September 1940 at On 30South at war against Nazi Germany. September at about 4.30 West England;1940 the Supermarine warden and civil defence in Sherborne. Paul Birbeck,Westland Sherborne Walks & Blue Badge Tour Guide about 4.30pm the residents of Sherborne factory atByGerald Southampton, Aircraft The Old Shirburnian Society website has Sherborne got a shock. As local historian Pitman wrote “some got a shock. As local historian Gerald at Yeovil and the Bristol Aeroplane factory Pitman wrote “some 300 bombs, about 60 tons, were dropped in under 5 minutes.” had becomefascinating the accounts and photographs of at Filton, Sherborne Bristol. the impact on Sherborne School. All in all, tons, were dropped in under 5 minutes.” 30 September is a memorable day in the of England to experience a severe enemy raid. The main target of the raid was the Sherborne had become the first town town’s long history. Yeovil factory but, due to cloud cover, in the West of England to experience a the Germans did not find Westland that severe enemy raid. ows, the bombs fell in distinct lines, afternoon. startingThey about two miles westOn of30 September I will lead guided were attacked by British tours of the key locations, supported As the map below shows, the bombs fell fighters and when there was a break in by photographs after the bombing and d Lenthay Common, the centre of the town and finishing about in distinct lines, startingthrough about two miles the cloud a town became visible with a accounts from survivors. (£10 per person) west of the town at Wyke and Lenthay railway line in approximately the correct Book online at www.sherbornewalks.co.uk Common, through the centre of the town relationship to Westland and the Taunton/ or phone 07989 453966. Pre-booking and finishing about a mile to the east. Yeovil line and their bombs were released. applies due to limitations on group size In total, 18 people were killed and 32 injured and detained in hospital. A bronze plaque on the War Memorial in Half Moon Street still records the names of all who were killed.
Lenthay Common was pitted with bomb craters and 108 estate houses near Lenthay suffered damaged and 10 were destroyed. Several children were also killed. As the bombers proceeded towards the centre of Sherborne, the Cemetery Caretaker’s house was destroyed and in Horsecastles, bombs damaged a long row of houses. Three houses were destroyed in Acreman Street.
following distancing guidelines. This might explain why so many of the In 1940, Britain was at war against Nazi Germany. On 30social September 1940 at about 4.30 p.m. thelanded residents of fields Sherborne got a shock. As local historian Gerald Pitman wrote “some bombs in the near Silverlake www.sherbornewalks.co.uk 300 bombs, aboutside 60 of tons, were dropped 5 minutes.” Sherborne had become the Farm to the west Sherborne. The in under E: paul@sherbornewalks.co.uk first towncrews in thewould West have of England to experience a severe enemy raid. German been briefed that the camouflaged Westland works As the map below shows,to the bombs fell in distinct lines, starting about two miles west of were situated a kilometre the west of the town at Wyke and Lenthay Common, Yeovil town centre on the north side of through the centre of the town and finishing about a mile to the east. the railway line. Navigation in those days
Bombs also fell in the grounds of Sherborne Preparatory School and in the Sherborne School courts. Cheap Street, close to the junction with Hound Street, experienced extensive damage in the road and the shops either side. To a discerning eye, evidence of the damage can still be seen in this area, and it is well documented in contemporary photographs. Bombs fell all around Sherborne Abbey but apart from a few broken windows the Abbey was not damaged. The closest bombs landed in Half Moon Street. The damage near the corner of Half Moon Street and South Street was extensive. As the bombers continued east, a line of bombs caused damage around Tinneys Lane in Newland, totally destroying junior
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