Thursday 20 December 2018

Boston Bomb Fall - new book


I don't post for ages, then three come along at once, almost like London busses. But I just thought I'd let you know about this new book, published on the 16th and launched at the WW2  Home Front Museum in Boston, Lincolnshire.

This book is quite locally specialised, covering, as it does, the various air raids on the town and area through two world wars. Boston was, at the time, a medium sized market town and small port on the east coast. Its only claim to fame being the large parish church of St.Botolph, known as "The Stump" and a connection to the original Pilgrim Fathers. The book came about through the author hearing that a schoolteacher had told a pupil that Boston had not been bombed in the war.

Using newspaper reports..... "a small East Coast town last week..." etc., with county and national archives, the author has produced a detailed account and analysis of the sixty or so raids, along with the types of assorted bombs that fell. He also covers the casualties and damage to the town. (I always wondered why there was a single bungalow in the middle of a terrace of houses in the next street to us). The town actually got of very lightly. Out of a population of about 30,000 there were 21 civilians killed in the area.

Probably not a title of general interest, it gives an overall picture of time and place, worth a read if you are interested in the air war or civil defense.

There's also a picture of my mum in her AFS (Auxilliary Fire Service) get up, so it's personal.

2 comments:

  1. Sounds interesting , lots of this local knowledge gets lost as the older generation departs .

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  2. Your book recommendations never cease to be good reads, I shall have to pick this up

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