25 May 1917                                             

Bombed: Kent 

On 25 May 1917 a new threat to Britain from the air emerged when the German Army launched its Gotha bombers against London for the first time. Thick low cloud over the capital, however, forced the aircraft of Kampfgeschwader 3 der Oberste Heeresleitung (Kagohl 3 - Battle Squadron 3 of the Army High Command) to turn away and attack targets in Kent instead.

The 21 Gothas passed west of Rochester and dropped the first bombs at 5.42pm when four 50kg bombs fell in fields around Luddesdown and Harvel. South of Maidstone another 50kg bomb dropped in a field on Eagles Farm at Linton, after which Kagohl 3 picked up the main railway line to the port of Folkestone at Marden where four 12.5kg HE bombs fell in fields at Dairy Farm. Further bombs dropped as Kagohl 3 followed the railway line. Six 50kg bombs landed around Smarden, smashing eight panes of window glass, and 10 of the smaller bombs landed without effect at Dering Farm, nearby at Bibbenden Green. At Pluckley an HE bomb landed in a meadow on Turner Farm and at Bethersden two bombs fell, one exploded in the air over Barnshurst Farm breaking 12 panes of glass and the other landed in a field on Snoad Farm without causing damage. Directly ahead lay Ashford.

The Gothas dropped six bombs on Ashford. Two fell near Bond Road, one at Beaver Green, one at Rugby Gardens and two over Providence Street, one of which exploded in the air and killed Gladys Sparkes (18). The bomb also injured two men, a woman and a child. Other bombs were responsible for breaking windows over a wide area and damaged a few ceilings. From Ashford the Gotha formation spilt into two. The more northerly group dropped five bombs in open ground between Shadoxhurst (south of Ashford) and Kingsnorth and another five at Mersham, which fell in a field at Elm Farm killing two sheep. Meanwhile the southern group approached the Royal Military Canal, dropping two HE bombs at Ruckinge where one landed in a field on Hogtub Green Farm and the other in a neighbouring wood. Three HE bombs followed at Bilsington, one landing in a field at Bridge Farm, another at Dines Farm and the third in Country Field Wood. A fourth missile, claimed to be an unexploded bomb in some reports, fell into an empty grave in the village churchyard. The police, however, identified it as an aerial dart. The formations closed up again over Lympne where 22 bombs, mostly the smaller 12.5kg, were aimed at the aerodrome, home to No. 8 Aircraft Acceptance Park of the RFC. Most of the bombs fell in the centre of the aerodrome, but two exploded near a hanger (damage was negligible), one in a quarry east of the aerodrome towards Oat Hill and one prematurely burst 400 feet above the ground over Folks’ Wood. A little further on a bomb that dropped 100 yards from the eastern end of the railway tunnel near Sandling failed to explode. From there the Gothas approached Hythe.

About 20 bombs dropped in and around Hythe at 6.15pm. Unexploded bombs penetrated through houses in Cobden Road (two) and Marine Parade. One exploded in the air above the Metropole Steam Laundry, south-west of the town, and even though shell fragments penetrated the roof, none of the women working there was injured. Not far away two more bombs exploded in the air, over the gas works and the coastguard station, but without damage. A number of bombs fell harmlessly on the beach but another that exploded in the air over Ormonde Road killed Amy Parker (43) as she was making her way to her home. Other bombs fell on two golf courses. In the centre of town a bomb exploded outside St. Leonard’s Church where it mortally wounded the verger, Daniel Lyth, who was speaking to the vicar and his wife at the church entrance at the time; the vicar’s wife received a slight injury. Other bombs landed nearby in North Street, Hillside Street and Castle Road. 

Directly ahead now lay the vast military camp at Shorncliffe, spread out between Cheriton and Sandgate. The exact number of bombs dropped is unclear and there may be some duplication in the records. Among the bombs that fell on the camp amongst Canadian troops, one exploded on a tent between two huts in Howitzer lines where it killed 11 infantrymen about to set off on a march and injured many others. A bomb that landed on Risborough Field killed four Canadian gunners and an American serving with them while they were erecting a tent. Another Canadian died when struck by an unexploded bomb on the Cavalry Drill Ground and a British soldier was killed in a quarantine camp. As well as those killed, over 90 soldiers were injured; one bomb that struck the tailor’s shop in the 8th Canadian Battalion’s lines accounted for 25 of these men. 

Bombs also fell at Cheriton and Sandgate. At Cheriton, close to Risborough Barracks, a bomb in Royal Military Avenue killed Alfred Down, aged 54, and injured two others. Another, in Oaks Road, killed Dorothy Burgin (16) and five-year-old Francis Considine. In addition to the casualties many windows were broken including all those at the front of Enbrook Manor. At Sandgate a bomb exploded in a stream in the grounds of Enbrook House. A fragment of the bomb smashed the plate glass door of the Fleur-de-Lis public house in the High Street. The bomb also sent lumps of rock from the stream flying through the air, damaging nearby properties. The next bombs (about 40) fell on the town of Folkestone with devastating effect.

It was a fine Friday evening and many of the town’s residents were out shopping or enjoying the good weather before a Bank Holiday weekend. Approaching from the west, the first bombs killed Doris Walton (16), while she was playing tennis in the grounds of a school on Shorncliffe Road, and Albert Castle (41) who was working as a gardener at another school on the same road. A bomb at the corner of Jointon and Trinity roads cut down Maggie Bartleet (24) and nine landed close to the Central Station but only two detonated, even so that was enough to kill 45-year-old Edward Horn, butler to Sir Thomas Devitt who he had gone to collect from the station. Following the railway line more bombs fell east of the Central Station and one that landed at the junction of Foord Road and Radnor Park Road fatally injured George Butcher who was delivering coal. Eight bombs then struck central Folkestone. One, smashing into 21 Manor Road brought much of the building crashing down and killed the cook, Jane Marshment (50). Another of these bombs exploded in the street outside 19 and 21 Bouverie Road East claiming the lives of five people. Moments later a bomb landed in Tontine Street, a busy shopping thoroughfare, where a large queue had formed outside Stokes’ greengrocer shop following a delivery of potatoes. At 6.22pm a bomb exploded outside the shop, the blast ripping through the people, mostly women and children. When the dust and smoke settled 44 shattered bodies lay amongst the rubble, killed instantly, and another 17 later succumbed to their injuries. No single bomb in Britain caused more civilian casualties throughout the war. The Gothas dropped a few more bombs on the town then headed out to sea.

The RFC and RNAS responded to the attack, flying 77 sorties, but most of the aircraft struggled to get up to the Gotha’s height and were left trailing in their wake. Almost all the RFC aircraft were of the BE type, normally used against Zeppelins and provided little threat to the Gothas. A few aircraft made sightings but only two managed to engage. RNAS aircraft from Dunkirk had more luck, intercepting the returning Gothas and shooting down one over the sea. The nature of the air campaign over Britain had dramatically changed.