Tontine St Air Raid

One hundred years ago, Britain was at war with Germany. It had been declared in 1914, and it was brutal. Thousands upon thousands of British soldiers and their allies were fighting on foot at the Western Front, taking shelter in the trenches they had dug, amid the mud, vermin, gas and bullets. Likewise the battle was ongoing by sea and increasingly by air. Bombs had been dropped as close as Dover, and in many other parts of the country, and on October 13th 1915 a Zeppelin made a detour from its intended target of London, and along with other places in Kent, dropped bombs on the Canadian Camp at Otterpool, near Lympne, killing fifteen men and fifteen horses, wounding 21 men and three horses.

German ZeppelinL 13 Courtesy Imperial War Museum © IWM,Q 58456

This page is dedicated to the men, women and children who lost their lives in the Tontine Street Air Raid. Unless otherwise stated, the photographs and documents you will see are from the collection and courtesy of Mr. Bill Westall, and copyright belongs to him. I would also like to thank Danny Featherbe and Donna Dryland for making them available to me, and Mark Hourahane for the hours he spent scanning and cleaning everything and sending it all to me in Canada.

As fearsome as the Zeppelins had been, anti-aircraft guns were improved and they were soon less of a threat. However, Britain couldn't relax for long, because very shortly the Gotha bomber came along

Before we jump ahead too far though, I want to drop back in history to 1878, which was peacetime. The German Ironclad turret- ship, Grosser Kurfürst (the 'Great Elector'. meaning the Brandenburg Prince who was the founder of the kingdom of Prussia) was sunk off Folkestone by collision with a ship of the same squadron, the König Wilhelm. Two hundred and eighty four of her men were drowned, or perhaps some of them were scalded to death, as her steam-boilers seem to have burst while she sank, which took place within about nine minutes.

The Folkestone fishing-boats, especially the Emily Richard, which picked up twenty-seven men, were instrumental in the rescue of many survivors, to the number altogether of eighty-five. They also recovered as many bodies as possible, and they were interred in the Cheriton Road cemetery. Many people of Folkestone attended the services, the first few of which were given full military honours, however, it wasn't practical to do this with over a hundred to bury, so the remainder were laid to rest more quietly. These funerals and caskets were all taken care of by the people of Folkestone, and a large monument was erected in their memory which still stands today. Emperor William 1 showed his deep gratitude by presenting a beautiful Bible to Canon Woodward, who conducted the services, and presented gold watches (suitably inscribed) and other presents to those who had rendered service to the living and respect to the dead.

It was because of this incident that the people of Folkestone tended to think they were being missed in the conflict out of gratitude. But on that fateful day, May 25th, 1917 they were taken completely by surprise.

If you would like to know more about this incident, and see more pictures, you can read the Illustrated London News account of it HERE:

It was almost six o'clock in the evening on that warm and sunny Friday, May 25th 1917. Monday was going to be the Whitsun Bank Holiday, and although late in the day, Tontine Street was very busy with wives stocking up on provisions for the long weekend. There was a long queue at Stokes Greengrocers as a new shipment of potatoes had arrived, and the women were chatting to each other, as their children played together nearby.

They could hear a series of crashes in the distance, but as there were several army camps in the vicinity, they dismissed it as gun practice. A plane circled overhead, but again, nobody was alarmed, as they thought it was a British plane. Suddenly, the Gotha bombers swooped down on Folkestone, and began dropping their high explosive bombs. They approached from the west, some attacked Hythe and Shorncliffe Camp, others the west end of Folkestone, near the Central Station and Bouverie Road East. Then they headed where they could see the most civilians, mostly women and children, which was outside Stokes in Tontine Street, although some argued they were actually aiming for the harbour. It was a direct hit to the front of the shop, and 60 people were instantly killed, many blown completely into pieces. Over a hundred people had devastating injuries, many of whom died later.

Calls went out for help, and very quickly the Red Cross, the Fire Brigade, Ambulance Corps and Police were on the scene. Also the Canadian Army Medical Corps, stationed at Shorncliffe Camp, and the Special Police were brought in to help with the removal of the dead, and to rescue the injured.

The Royal Victoria Hospital was overloaded with the injured, and their mortuary was filled with the dead. They also had to use the military hospitals at West Cliff and Shorncliffe for the injured.

Total killed in Folkestone that day was 74 - 15 men, 30 women and 29 children. The total number injured was 96, but this is a minimum number, as many with minor injuries did not attend hospital, and were not counted. Many died in the days and months following.

Bombs were also dropped outside Folkestone, as you can see by the map at the top of the page. 19 at Lympne, 19 at Hythe, 2 at Sandgate, 16 at Cheriton and 18 at the military camps at Shorncliffe, St. Martin's Plain and Dibgate.

Twenty two soldiers were killed at Shorncliffe, eighteen of which were Canadian. Also out of the 96 wounded there, 86 were also Canadian.

The people of Folkestone were in total shock, considering Dover had been air raided eighteen times, with 190 bombs dropped, with a death toll of only 22.

Thirty seven aircraft belonging to both the RNAS and RFC took to the air after the raid and chased the Gothas, but they were not capable of reaching the same height as the German planes.

I think this photograph was taken after Stokes finished trading, and had leased the premises to another Greengrocer. The Hastings & Folkestone Glassworks used to be next door, and went across the little road in the photograph above. Mr. James Stanners, owner, had a new factory built immediately behind in Mill Bay, around 1960. This building is now owned by the Creative Foundation, and is being used as the 6th Form College. The site of Stokes first became a beer garden for the Brewery Tap next door, but it too was bought up by the Creative Foundation, and in 2014 it was turned into a Memorial Garden by Amina Menia as part of a Triennial art project. This year, on the 100th Anniversary of the Great Tontine Street Air Raid, they have plans to build a Triennial visitor centre on the site.

After the bodies had been removed, and the injured had been taken to hospital, work started immediately on clearing away the rubble, and starting on the rebuild. Margaret Care, Great-Granddaughter of Frederick Stokes, who died fifteen months after the raid, having never recovered from his injuries, said her Grandfather used to tell them that his father and uncles were extremely proud of the fact that "they didn't keep us down for long" The Greengrocers, and Gosnolds opposite were rebuilt and trading within a month, which was no mean feat considering all the young fit men were away at war. Apparently the customers came flocking back, including the families of the killed and injured, determined to show they would not be beaten.

Frederick's brother William and nephew Arthur died at the scene on that fateful day.

On the left, Gosnold Bros. Drapers, right after the raid. On the right, many years later, showing how it was rebuilt to match exactly as before.

After the inquest into the massacre, new anti-aircraft guns were installed at Westenhanger, Cherry Garden Avenue and Earls Avenue. They also installed warning sirens and search lights, and provided dug-outs and shelters. Many of the private schools closed for the duration of the war, and some people moved out of Folkestone altogether. Although they were now better prepared, Folkestone did not suffer another raid like the one on May 25th 1917.

Folkestone Borough Coroner Mr. G. W. Haines is quoted as saying in 1925 :

"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."

Which moves me to say:

"After a lapse of one hundred years, may those whose ancestors were spared not be unmindful as well."

Where Stokes Greengrocers had stood

Some were buried in unmarked graves, others have since lost their headstone, possibly due to damage and removal.

The funeral of Sarah Jane Dicker and her daughter, Edith Agnes, age 13. Cannon Tindall is walking in front.

Funeral of Hilda Elizabeth Burvill, age 20

Another photo of the funeral of Hilda Elizabeth Burvill. A detachment of soldiers from the West cliff Hospital led by Sgt. Major Shering attended out of sympathy

The burial of Phyllis Amies Cooper, age 9. Daughter of Mr. A. W. Cooper of 3 Warwick Terrace, Morrison Rd.

This wonderful photo of Stokes Greengrocers before the bomb hit belongs to Les Haigh who has a website on the Stokes Brothers, and has given me permission to use it here. If you click on the photo, it will take you to her website, where the story of the air raid is covered in more detail, and also you can see the Stokes family tree.

Surname	First Names	Age	Address	Where	Date Died	Cemetery
1. Arnold	May Alexandra	21	19 Bouverie Rd East	Bouverie Rd East	25th May 1917	Shorncliffe
2. Banks	Harold Hayward	25	20 Victoria Grove	Bouverie Rd East	26th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
3. Barker	Eliza Mary	34	29 Bradstone Avenue	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
4. Bartleet	Maggie Gray	24	27 Connaught Road	Jointon Road	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
5. Beer	Annie (Rosie)	2	90 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
6. Beer	Annie	30	90 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
7. Beer	William James	9	67 Bridge Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
8. Beer	Arthur Stephen	11	67 Bridge Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
9. Bowbrick	Mabel Esther	9	81 Ashley Ave, Cheriton	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
10. Bowbrick	Gertrude Elizabeth	12	81 Ashley Ave, Cheriton	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
11. Bowbrick	Lily (Nellie)	55	81 Ashley Ave, Cheriton	Tontine Street	25th Mar 1925	St. Martin's
12. Brockway	Sydney	63	17 Peter Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
13. Burgin	Dorothy Lilian	16	21 Oakes Rd, Cheriton	Oakes Road	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
14. Burke	John	49	29 St Winifred Road	Bouverie Rd East	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
15. Burvill	Hilda Elizabeth	20	Hope Cott, Blackbull Rd	Tontine Street	26th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
16. Butcher	George Edward	44	27 Alexander Street	Foord Road	5th Jun 1917	Cheriton Rd
17. Cason	Mary	46	24 Royal Military Avenue	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Not found
18. Castle	Albert Edward	41	27 Wear Bay Crescent	Shorncliffe Road	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
19. Chapman	Kathleen	16	Chilham Lees	Bouverie Rd East	29th May 1917	Not Found
20. Clark	William	12	24 Mead Road	Tontine Street	28th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
21. Considine	Francis Henry	5	27 Oaks Road	Oakes Road	25th May 1917	Shorncliffe
22. Cooper	Phyllis Aimes	9	3 Warwick Terrace	Tontine Street	26th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
23. Daniels	Albert Dennis	12	Coombe Farm, Hawkinge	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Hawkinge
24. Day	Frederick Charles	47	3 Linden Crescent	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
25. Dicker	Edith Agnes	13	13 Richmond Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
26. Dicker	Sarah Jane	41	13 Richmond Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
27. Down	Alfred Durrett	54	52 Royal Military Avenue	Royal Military Ave	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
28. Dukes	Florence Edith	18	Horn Street, Cheriton	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
29. Dukes	Florence Elizabeth	51	Horn Street, Cheriton	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
30. Eales	Ethel May	17	27 Dudley Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
31. Fagg	Walter James	8-9	33 North Street	Tontine Street	29th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
32. Feist	Stanley Albert	5	Coombe Farm, Hawkinge	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Hawkinge
33. Feist	Nellie	50	Coombe Farm, Hawkinge	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Hawkinge
34. Francis	Florence	33	46 Foord Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
35. Gould	Edward Stephen	39	Pavilion Stables, Tram Rd	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
36. Graves	Richard Ashby	40	Pavilion Stables, Tram Rd	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
37. Grimes	Edith Mary	24	14 Tontine Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
38. Hall	William Henry	64	68 Tontine Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
39. Hambly	Johanna Mary	67	32 Radnor Park Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
40. Hambrook	Ethel	12	1 Invicta Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
41. Harris	Caroline	35	144 Cheriton High Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
42. Harrison	Fanny	39	15 Bournemouth Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
43. Hayes	Dennis William	2	25 East Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
44. Hayes	Martha Godden	30	25 East Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
45, Hayward	Louisa Alice	37	38 Thanet Gardens	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
46. Hickman	Arthur David	6	93 Royal Military Avenue	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Shorncliffe
47. Holloway	Veronica Mary	1	13 Burrow Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
48. Holloway	Mary Philomina	9	13 Burrows Avenue	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
49. Horn	Edward James	45	8 Radnor Cliff	Cheriton Road	25th May 1917	Waltham
50. Hughes	Rosina Caroline	34	46 Foord Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
51. Jackman	Dorothy Bertha	14	12 Connaught Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
52. Laxton	Katherine Euphemia	72	19 East Cliff Gardens	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
53. Lee	William	46	New Eltham	Tontine Street	30th May 1917	New Eltham
54. Lyth	Daniel Stringer	54	Hythe	Hythe	25th May 1917	Saltwood
55. Marshment	Jennie	50	21 Manor Road	21 Manor Road	25th May 1917	Canterbury
56. Maxted	Elizabeth	31	5 Grove Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
57. McDonald	AlbertWilliam Charles	12	30 Stuart Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
58. McDonald	Agnes Curren	22	12 Connaught Road	Tontine Street	2nd Jun 1917	Cheriton Rd
59. McGuire	Ernest Henry	6	15 Linden Crescent	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
60. Moss	Walter George	0	204 Cheriton High St	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
61. Moss	Jane Charlotte May	20	204 Cheriton High St	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	St. Martin's
62. Norris	William Alfred	1	30 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
63. Norris	Florence Kathleen	2	30 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
64. Norris	Florence Louise	24	30 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
65. Parker	Amy Gertrude	42	50 Ormonde Road, Hythe	Hythe	25th May 1917	Bexleyheath
66. Reed	Mabel	12	32 Mead Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
67. Robinson	John Walter Francis	5	64 St. Michaels Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
68. Rumsey	Florence	17	29 Blackbull Road	Tontine Street	27th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
69. Snauwaert	Marie	44	7 Copthall Gardens	Tontine Street	26th Jun 1917	Cheriton Rd
70. Sparkes	Gladys Alice	18	Ashford	Ashford	25th May 1917	Ashford
71. Stokes	Arthur Ernest	14	33a Harvey Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
72. Stokes	William Henry	46	33a Harvey Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
73. Stokes	Frederick Charles	44	12 St. Johns Church Rd	Tontine Street	11th Oct 1918	Cheriton Rd
74. Terry	Gwendoline Edith	13	12 Connaught Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
75. Vane	Alfred	35	8 Bradstone New Road	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Brabourne
76. Walton	Doris Eileen Spencer	16	The Mount, Julian Road	Shorncliffe Road	26th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
77. Waugh	Elizabeth Charlotte	48	26 North Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd
78. Wilson	Isabella	80	11 East Street	Tontine Street	25th May 1917	Cheriton Rd

Harold Hayward Banks

Eliza Mary Barker

Annie Beer

Annie (Rosie) Beer

Hilda Elizabeth Burvill

Albert Edward Castle

Kathleen Chapman

Willie Clark

Sidney Cloak

Injured

Ethel May Eales

Florence Francis

Richard Ashby Graves

William Henry Hall

Ethel Hambrook

Martha Godden Hayes

Dennis William Hayes

Rosina Caroline

Hughes

Dorothy Bertha

Jackman

Elizabeth Maxted

William Charles

McDonald

Ernest Henry McGuire

Florence Louise Norris

Florence Rumsey

Arthur Ernest Stokes

Frederick Charles

Stokes

William Henry Stokes

Possibly

Francis Considine

John Robinson

Unconfirmed

It is with thanks to Margaret Care and her sister, Sarah Fox, Great-Granddaughters of Frederick Charles Stokes.

Margaret and Sarah have spent four years doing extensive research on the victims, and have tracked down the resting places of almost all of them. Along with Martin Easdown, they are organising a Memorial Service to all those killed and injured in the Raid on 25th May 2017 at 5.00pm in The Methodist Church, Sandgate Road, Folkestone. It is a Service to remember the largest single incident of Civilian Casualties outside London in WW1. After the service, a plaque will be unveiled in The Christchurch Memorial Gardens. Full details of which, plus a map can be found HERE

Every year since the tragedy, a member of the Stokes family have left flowers at the site where so many people lost their lives. In the last few years, it has been Margaret.

Family business Stokes Brothers was started in 1898 by William and George Stokes who ran Tontine Street, and Robert and Benjamin Stokes who ran the shop in Bouverie Rd West. Frederick was a telegrapher and John a Blacksmith at this time. In 1906 John gave up his blacksmith work and bought the mineral water company in Dover Street (Harbour Way) in conjunction with William and converted it to a Coalstore. William and George then bought the coal lugger "The Luz" In 1907 all partnerships joined forces to form Stokes Bros. Ltd. and Frederick joined the board of directors.

The shop in Tontine Street was destroyed in an Air Raid on 25th May 1917 when sadly both William Henry Stokes and his 14 year old son Arthur Ernest were killed and Frederick Charles Stokes was seriously injured and didn't recover. The shop was rebuilt after the raid and continued to operate under the Stokes name until 1979, at which time it was being operated by Charles, son of Frederick and William Care, his son-in-law. In 1979 the premises were let, first to William's brother Charles Care until 1981, then to Bill Lane, who had it until 1985 when the building was destroyed by fire and it never reopened. William Stokes is seen in this photograph in the centre, with George to his right. We are assuming the ladies are either wives or shop assistants.

Margaret Care's dog Clemmie (Clementine - a nod to her greengrocer ancestors), accompanying Margaret as she lays her annual flowers in the memorial garden.

Proposed visitor centre.

Surname	First Names	Rank	Service Number	Age	Regiment	Service Country	Date of death	Grave/Memorial Reference	Cemetery	Home Town
1. Arbuckle	Bert	Gunner	2085324	38	Canadian Field Artillery	Canadian	May 25th 1917	S.538	Shorncliffe	Indiana, U.S.A.
2. Attwood	William Sydney	Private	G/38004	21	Middlesex Regiment	United Kingdom	May 26th 1917	Screen Wall 128.542	Manor Park Cemetery	London, UK
3. Baxter	Archie	Private	285074	18	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 31st 1917	T.562	Shorncliffe	Coleman, On.
4. Bloodworth	George Henry	Private	G/78071	19	Middlesex Regiment	United Kingdom	May 25th 1917	0.555	Shorncliffe	London, UK
5. Brown	William	Gunner	342862	21	Canadian Field Artillery	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.551	Shorncliffe	Montreal, P.Q.
6. Bruce	James Alexander	Gunner	2085320	21	Canadian Field Artillery	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.545	Shorncliffe	St.Lambert, P.Q.
7. Desaleux	Jules Benjamin Alfred	Gunner	1250216	29	Canadian Field Artillery	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R.540	Shorncliffe	Winnipeg, Mb.
8. Doig	Arthur	Lance Corporal	922065	24	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.546	Shorncliffe	Birtle, Mb.
9. Houdart	Constant	Soldaat 2 kl mil		33	Belgian Army	Belgian	May 25th 1917	Screen Wall	Shorncliffe	Epernay, France
10. Jenner	O. A.	Company Quartermaster Sargeant	273124	26	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.554	Shorncliffe	Toronto, On.
11. MacDonald	R.	Private	922836	19	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.553	Shorncliffe	Basswood, Mb.
12. Marshall	Charles	Private	875420	23	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 26th 1917	T.552	Shorncliffe	Winnipeg, Mb.
13. McArthur	Archibald James	Private	922562	19	Canadian Infantry 200 Bn	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.547	Shorncliffe	Marquette, Mb.
14. McNair	Hugh	Private	922225	20	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.550	Shorncliffe	Whitewater, Mb.
15. McNulty	J. D.	Gunner	1251128	25	Canadian Field Artillery	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R.539	Shorncliffe	Edmonton, Ab.
16. Merchant	Robert William	Private	875090	34	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R.543	Shorncliffe	Winnipeg, Mb.
17. Padley	F.	Private	922556	24	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R.542	Shorncliffe	Carrington, Nottingham, UK
18. Pelluet	Ralph	Private	922514	25	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R.544	Shorncliffe	North Battleford, Sask.
19. Sutherland	Jack	Private	922299	31	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May25th 1917	T.549	Shorncliffe	Bradford, On.
20. Tennyson	Ernest	Private	922331	23	Canadian Infantry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	T.548	Shorncliffe	Peterborough, On.
21. Verschueren	Hyppolite	Soldaat 2 kl OV		41	Belgian Army	Belgian	May 25th 1917	Screen Wall	Shorncliffe	Aarschot, Arrondissement Leuven, Flemish Brabant (Vlaams-Brabant), Belgium
22. Yeo	Lloyd Garfield	Private	226191	18	Canadian Reserve Cavalry	Canadian	May 25th 1917	R541	Shorncliffe	St. Thomas, On.

Several non-civilians also died in that same air raid. They are all acknowledged on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website, but should also have a mention here:

A memorial service was held at the Parish Church shortly afterwards, attended by the Mayor and various dignitaries.

The whole town, and indeed the whole country was in mourning, then anger set in, and hatred for all people who happened to have a trace of the enemy DNA started to manifest in earnest.

Florence Kathleen Norris

On May 21st, 1982, the Folkestone Herald published a letter from Clifford (address supplied). It read as follows:

I refer to the air raid on Folkestone on May 25, 1917, and to the letter from Mrs. M. Roberts published in the May 7 issue of the Herald. I have a letter written by my late mother, Mrs. Florence Green (nee Ramell), who was an eye-witness of the raid.

The letter was sent to her sister in America (a survivor of the Titanic disaster a few years earlier) but was returned by the censor. Extracts from the letter include:

"We are all well after the raid. You will have received a newspaper with a list of those killed and injured. I happened to be having my tea at the shop when the whole affair happened. I heard the engines coming and being different to the noise made by our aeroplanes, I began to feel uncomfortable, and just then a bomb exploded at the back of us.

"Practically every glass in St. John's Street were broken. All the staff, including myself rushed out to the front. I saw everything going into the air down Tontine Street. You know how terrible it is thinking every minute is going to be one's last.

"It was the awful sights I witnessed after the actual raid that made me feel queer. Everyone from Tontine Street was brought past the shop, and when I tell you it was a real slaughter house, you can guess how many were taken from there alone - quite 60, and heaps of soldiers were killed also.

"The plate glass window was broken at the shop, and nearly everything fell down in the affair. Sixty bombs were rained on us and damage was also done in Manor Road, Bouverie Road East, and around by the Central Station.

Bombs were dropped all down the line and also near home, so you will see how narrowly we escaped. What is to be will be, but my only desire is that they never come here anymore. If that is an air-raid, well I never wish to see another. We have a siren now, and on the approach of hostile aircraft that thing is sounded, and its quite some noise!"

The 'shop' referred to the family coach building business of Thomas Ramell, Dover Road. My mother was 25 at the time. Every year before World War 11, the Salvation Army used to hold a short service at the site of the Tontine Street bombing, Stokes Bros. Ltd. where there is a plaque attached to a lamp post commemorating the event. END..

Civilian Deaths

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Photographs from the 100th Anniversary Memorial courtesy Mark Hourahane

While everyone was shocked and dismayed by the amount of the dead, let's not forget there were many more who were injured. Some were crippled for the rest of their lives, some managed to heal, but still had the scars as a visible reminder, but many more had emotional scars that would never leave them.

Jo Milton is the Grandaughter of one such lady. Lily May Milton was a lovely young lady who had celebrated her 16th birthday just 6 days before the air raid. She worked in the Ladies Underwear & Corsetry section of Gosnold's Drapery shop in Tontine Street. After the blast she was found buried under a pile of rubble and dead bodies, injured with a broken nose, but still alive. The shop was very badly damaged, and even the owner was injured. He kindly paid for Lily, and probably others to go to a convalescent home to recover, as it is believed she had a minor nervous breakdown.

On May 29th Lily received a letter from the Mayor of Folkestone, and it's thanks to the Milton family that I am able to reproduce a copy of it here, along with the envelope. They have also kindly allowed me to have a copy of a photograph of Lily, and one of Tontine Street during WW1.

At some point after she recovered she worked for a few years at a drapery shop in Sandgate Road, and was married in 1924. However, the Germans managed to break her nose a second time in WW2, when a fighter plane chased her down the road in Dover and she looked back to see where it was and ran into a lampost.

The letter reads:

My Dear Madam,

The Town Council have asked me to convey to you on behalf of the inhabitants of Folkestone our most heartfelt sympathy in the injury you have sustained, and our best wishes for speedy recovery. I have also received messages of sympathy with all who have suffered, especially those who have lost their dear ones and the injured, from Their Majesties The King and Queen, His Grace The Archbishop of Canterbury, Lord Harris, The Dowager Countess of Radnor, The Recorder of Folkestone, The Mayors of Maidstone and Dover, and others, the King specially asking to be informed how the injured are progressing.

Steps are being taken to assist those who have suffered and who need assistance. Applications for this help, giving particulars as to circumstances, should be sent to the Town Clerk.

With renewed expressions of sympathy, I am, Yours very faithfully, Stephen Penfold, Mayor

Walter James Fagg