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During the night
of 5th November 1940, a large number of bombs were dropped from
German aircraft, landing in the fields between Colchester Rd and
Nayland Rd leaving large craters.
One fell on Nayland Rd causing a hole the full width and some
9 - 12 ft deep.
Another bomb made a direct hit on one of the council houses, the
resulting carnage killed four members of the Willingham family
and injuring many others.
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The photograph
above clearly show the crater in the middle of Nayland Road together
with the demolished house in the background.
Today these houses have been re-built as No`s 29/30 Nayland Rd.
Two theories exist over this incident:-
(a) it was
thought the intended target may have been the factory in Nayland Rd,
as the enemy aircraft turned over Assington and made a definite run
towards the village.
(b) enemy aircraft returning from bombing London released their surplus
ammunition before returning home.
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Plaque
in St Mary`s Church
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Obituary
taken from the
"Suffolk Gazette and Eastern Counties Advertiser"
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Both Mr &
Mrs Willingham were killed together with 90 year old, Mrs Willinghams
mother and Florie Eldred. The Willingham children fortunately
were in school just up the road at the time of the bombing.
Florie Eldred was found in the
field opposite, blown there by the blast
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Courtesy of Suffolk Free Press &
Mrs Mavis Sadler, Colchester.
also Fred Staples
