Last month’s cover photo

Last Month’s Cover Photograph

Last month’s cover photograph (right) prompted a couple of responses from readers. The first was from Bethan Smith, who pointed out that the photograph shows Meldreth Road, Shepreth. (North End, Meldreth is in the background.)

The second was from John Elbourn, who called me to say that the photograph brought back very distinct memories of a day in 1940 when he was 11 years old. John explained that during the Battle of Britain, a bomb landed near the bridge shown in the photograph, rendering the road impassable. His grandfather's traction engine was used to repair the road. John told me that following this incident, the brick wall of the bridge over Guilden Brook, shown in the photograph, was rebuilt in 1940 or 1941.

John’s memory is confirmed by Geoff Rayner in his book, “One Hurricane, One Raid”. Geoff wrote: On 31st August 1940 at about 08.30 hours between 120 and 140 High Explosive Bombs were dropped in two more or less continuous lines at fairly regular intervals of about 50 yards; the distance between the two lines varied from coincidence to about 100 yards. They started on Manor Farm, Fowlmere … One bomb fell on the western grass verge about 100 yards south of the Fowlmere turn. The side of the road was damaged, but one-way traffic was always practicable. The road was reopened fully by Saturday evening. There was a house within 50 yards of the point where the bomb fell, which suffered no damage. The line of bombs continued across stubble to the Hitchin-Cambridge railway, close to the Cam Blue Lias Cement Works, about half way between Meldreth and Shepreth stations.

One bomb fell on each side of the railway within a few yards, but no damage was done. The line of bombs continued over a grass field, and through an orchard to the Meldreth-Shepreth road, one bomb fell in the middle of the road close to a small bridge which carried the road over the stream dividing Meldreth and Shepreth parishes. The road was rendered impassable, but the bridge was not damaged. The blast appeared to work backwards. A lump of concrete was thrown a considerable distance southwards, but a cottage which was within 50 yards obliquely north suffered no damage. The road was reopened to traffic on Saturday evening. The line then continued close to the same stream until it entered the river, and there were a few bombs north of the river in Barrington parish. A number of incendiary bombs were dropped at the same time, but these fell not so regularly, and more to the east. Some fell in Fowlmere, others in various parts of Shepreth, and some on Barrington Green. The exact number is not known. A few of the High Explosive Bombs did not explode on landing.

Kathryn Betts Editor

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