Graves of ATS girls, killed 11th May 1943

Image: © Adrian S Pye Taken: 14 Sep 2016

Hostile raid 497 was a daylight low-level attack by 18 FW 190s of II/SKG.10 on the Gt Yarmouth area at 0845 hours on 11 May 1943. This was a frontal attack out of the sun and early morning mist. The raiders followed a reverse course of that taken by an earlier raid on 7 May, crossing in flying W just N of Britannia Pier and attacking the N part of Gt Yarmouth, exiting over the Winterton area. Gorleston ROC post made a sound only report identifying the incoming FW's about a minute before the attack. Caister ROC post gave the alarm to Gt Yarmouth Police and the air raid alarm was sounded only a few seconds after the first bombs fell. 14 x 500 kg HE bombs fell in various scattered residential areas in the N of the town. Some of the bombs bounced over the ground due to the low-level of their release. There was widespread destruction from bombs and cannon-fire, and with 49 people killed and 41 injured, this was the worst air-raid Gt Yarmouth endured in WW 2. A squad of about 30 ATS girls had been exercising that morning and had just marched back to their billet at Whitfield House, a large hostel at No.8, North Drive, when it received a direct hit from an HE bomb. There were 28 fatalities in just this incident. Four Mustangs from 613 Sqn which had just taken from Coltishall on an armed recce over the Dutch coast were vectored onto the fleeing FW 190s and pursued them out to sea at low-level, F/O Townsend managed to shoot one down, confirmed in German records. The other girls killed in the raid were returned to their respective home parish. Thanks to BC for the details imparted above.

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