BEFORE THE RAID

Civilians have always been directly affected by wars, whether they were the grieving relatives of men who had died in action, or as the victims of siege, famine and displacement. But the First World War brought a new threat - attacks on non combatants from the air.

The first raids made by Germany on the UK were by "Zepps", airships which dropped bombs on Norfolk on 19th and 20th January 1915, causing death and injury.

But by the end of 1916 the British people were not feeling as vulnerable as they had in 1915 and 1916. The airships or Zeppelins were no longer such a threat, because a good line of defence had been installed against them: a wireless warning system, gun crews, searchlights, and aeroplane patrols.

Indeed the attention of the British government turned to the threat of U Boat attacks on merchant shipping. Gun deliveries were diverted from home defence against air attacks to the mercantile marine, and two squadrons of RFC pilots were sent to France, relieved of their Home defence duties.

The Germans realised that the Zeppelin was now a limited weapon and when a new Gotha twin engine plane was produced in autumn 1916, bombing attacks using aircraft became a real possibility.

Until this time Folkestone had escaped from the air raids and shelling by the German Navy that had affected other towns and cities, despite being a prime target. Folkestone harbour was one of the main embarkation points for troops headed for the Western Front. Many of the larger houses in the town were being used a rest camps for soldiers from the battlefields. At Shorncliffe Military Camp thousands of men were camped, including a large contingent from Canada, and the main line of communication from the Western Front to London ran through the town.

THE RAID

25th May 1917 was a Friday. It had been a warm and sunny late Spring day, and the shops in Tontine Street were still doing a brisk trade, although it was nearly six o clock. It was Whitsun Bank Holiday on Monday and many wives were purchasing extra provisions for the long week end. Mothers chatted as they queued for the green grocer or fruiterer, while their children played in the sunshine. An aeroplane circled overhead but few were alarmed, as most thought it was 'one of ours' from Dover. There were a series of crashes in the distance but again it was thought to be gun practice from one of the army camps in the vicinity. So the people of Folkestone were taken completely by surprise when the Gotha 'planes swooped down on the town, dropping their loads of high explosive bombs.

The aeroplanes approached the town from the west at about 14,000 feet. Some attacked Hythe and Shorncliffe Camp, others the west end of Folkestone itself, around Central Station and Bouverie Road East. They then made their way to the town centre and here the majority of the fatalities occurred when one of the bombs made a direct hit outside STOKES' Brothers greengrocers in Tontine Street.

The greatest number of killed an injured was caused by the bomb which fell on Tontine Street. Nearly 60 were killed instantly, many others died later from their injuries and over 100 suffered wounds. For those who witnessed it, the carnage was so appalling it could never be forgotten.

The Fire Brigade, Red Cross, Ambulance Corps, and Police were soon swamped by calls for help, and the Canadian Army Medical Corps and the Special Police were brought in to help with the removal of the dead and to rescue the injured. The cemetery and Royal Victoria Hospital mortuaries were soon filled, and the military hospitals at West Cliffe and Shorncliffe were also used for the injured.

The total number killed was 71: 16 men, 28 women and 27 children The total number injured was 96, but certainly this is a minimum number as there were many with minor injuries who did not attend hospital and were therefore not counted.

Outside Folkestone itself other bombs fell; 19 at Lympne, 19 at Hythe, 2 at Sandgate, 16 at Cheriton, and 18 at the military camps at St Martin's Plain, Dibgate and Shorncliffe.

At Shorncliffe a total of 18 soldiers (16 Canadians) were killed and 90 were wounded (86 of these were Canadians)

The death toll is shocking to us now, but was greeted with disbelief in 1917. Dover had been air raided 18 times, but the death toll had been 22 in total, although nearly 190 bombs had been dropped.

AFTERMATH

Censorship

Reporting the wars news in the press was a precarious business. When the Defence Of the Realm Act (DORA) was introduced in 1914, restrictions were placed on many aspects of day to day life, but one of the most pervasive was the control of the press. The reporting of news items liable to cause alarm and despondency was an offence punishable by law, and descriptions of events were sketchy. When the attack on Folkestone was reported in The Times on Monday 28th May the headline read: DAYLIGHT AIR RAID - 76 KILLED AND 74 INJURED - 17 ENEMY AEROPLANES. But the locality was given as the South East of England, which gave rise to huge speculation. The Times reporter in Folkestone commented that not releasing the name of the town 'caused endless anxiety to people' and two days later it reported 'We are now permitted to announce that the town is Folkestone'

In fact the German report of the successful raid had been widely disseminated on the continent and had even reached Canada.

Why was there no warning?

One of the first questions asked after the raid was how had the Germans managed to attack? The attackers had approached not from the sea but from the land. The squadron that attacked Folkestone left is aerodromes in Flanders and flew over Essex, crossed the Thames Estuary at Gravesend, via Maidstone and Ashford towards Folkestone. There were 21 aircraft each carrying up to 6 50kg bombs. The official report after the war stated that 163 bombs with a total weight of 9257 lbs fell, causing �19,405 damage.

Folkestone and Shorncliffe received no warning although the Dover observers had reported the bombers approach 1 � hours before the attack.

Both the RNAS and the RFC took to the air after the raid, 37 craft in total, but they were not capable of reaching the height at which the new Gothas flew.

The attack showed the inadequacy of the country's defence against aeroplane attack and aroused deep feelings across the country. As a result urgent steps were taken to protect.

It was later revealed that as the Gothas had flown over North Kent, they were heard at Maidstone, but not seen until they attacked at Folkestone. The jury at the inquest for the victims added their own opinion of the authorities "the jury condemn in the strongest possible manner the negligence of the local and military authorities in not having made arrangements by where the public could have been warned." It appears that the military authorities knew an attack was in progress, but did not warn the borough authorities.

As a result new anti aircraft guns were installed at Westenhanger, Cherry Garden Avenue and Earls Avenue. Search lights and warning sirens, dug-outs and shelters were provided. Some people left the area, and many of the private schools in the town closed for the duration. The frequent alarms and the fear of another attack caused stress and tension, and resulted in tired irritable adults and sleepy children in the schools. But although there were daylight and moonlight alarms, Folkestone never suffered another day like the Great Raid of 25th May.

FOOTNOTE

Mrs Lily Caroline BOWBRICK, wife of Mr W BOWBRICK, a builder's foreman of Ashley Avenue, Folkestone. Paralysed from the waist down, but her spirit and fortitude have been remarkably heroic. Seriously ill on occasions, she finally passed away on Tuesday. Died aged 55. Admitted to the Royal Victoria Hospital on 25th May 1917 with compound fractures to the right leg, numerous shrapnel wounds and a very bad bruise to her back. Her death was caused by heart failure due to septis from wounds suffered in an air raid.

Mr G W HAINES the Borough Coroner said 'After a lapse of over seven years we are ringing down the curtain on our wounds and sorrows. May those who were spared not be unmindful.'

SOURCES

Carlile, John Charles       Folkestone during the War     1920

Folkestone Express and Advertiser                2nd June 1917

Folkestone and Hythe Herald                          2nd June 1917
                                                                        9th June 1917
                                                                      16th June 1917

AUTHOR'S NOTE
As mentioned above, there were restrictions placed on the reporting of incidents such as the Folkestone Air Raid. It is possible that some names have been omitted or incorrectly reported by the press. The author would be grateful for any clarification offered by readers, in particular the names of those Canadian soldiers who died, and who were not recorded at the civilian inquests.

Further details concerning the actual injuries suffered by those who were killed are also available from the author. These were omitted to save space, but were reported in the local press who attended the inquests.

Janice Brooker

28th January 2001