IT WAS 70 years ago, in August 1942, that the inhabitants of the
village of Redwick, near the coast of Monmouth
diocese, were woken in the small hours by four German bombs. They
destroyed one cottage, and damaged 20 more, together with the
school and the medieval church in the middle of the village.
By great good fortune, nobody was killed. It may have been that
a German pilot had suffered damage in a raid over Bristol or
Cardiff, and was jettisoning his bombs before trying to make it
safely home.
St Thomas's lost most of its roof and windows, and the ancient
rood loft and screen were left in a dangerous condition and had to
be taken down. The church had to be closed - as far as it is known,
it was the only church in Monmouth diocese to be closed because of
enemy action - and was not opened again until 1949.
The raid is still remembered in the village, and this year it
marked the 70th anniversary. The Team Vicar, the Revd Jeremy
Harris, who has ten churches in his benefice, held a commemoration
service, followed by tea and cakes and an exhibition of wartime
memorabilia (above). People who had been children living
in Redwick at the time were able to recount their memories of that
night.
The anniversary was further marked over the weekend at the Rose
Inn, which was festooned with patriotic bunting, and played 1940s
music.