German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Hi,

Can anyone confirm, or not, if there was any German activity over Norfolk on April 23/24th 1942 between 1900hrs - 23.50 hours ?

TIA

Steve

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

The focus of effort that night was 48 Do 217s and 12 Ju 88s against Exeter, those units based in Holland having moved to Normandy. Cannot say if anything else was operating as a diversion over Norfolk

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

This book, which I used to have long ago, might well tell you what you need. (Plus it's generally interesting and only £3.09 secondhand!)

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Being Baedeker time, the book jumps from 14 April to the attack on Norwich 27 April 1942

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

There is also nothing in The Blitz Then and Now V3 other than the Exeter raid.

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Cheers, ordered !!

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Might there be anything in the book The Battle of the East Coast by Foynes?

(Unfortunately I don't have this book, just thought it might be a source to check if anyone has it.)

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

According to reviews, this book majors on the naval battles. Furthermore, any German incursion this night would have been eclipsed by the Exeter attack & if nothing happened, the likelihood of it being recorded is minimal. Don't forget German intruder flights finished the previous summer & did not start again for another 16 months.

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Steve,

This may help - Bombing Britain you can download a spreadsheet containing 32k entries derived from PRO files HO 203.
These are - Ministry of Home Security, Home Security Daily Intelligence Reports
Description: Reports received in the Home Security War Room summarising air raid damage and other information of importance to civil defence, collated for the benefit of the Minister and senior officials, the Cabinet and Liaison Officers of other government departments.

On checking this there appears to be nothing recorded in the East of England for that night.(Assuming all reports were collated at the correct time).

Here is an extract covering 23-24 April 1942

Volume Reference Intelligence Summary Number Start Date End Date Time Civil Defence Region Location Country Killed Injured Total Casualties Additional Notes
HO 203/10 1928 + 1939 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western St Thomas, Exeter England 76 92 168 Casualty number for two attacks on Exeter (23rd/24th and 24th/25th)
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 23/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Alphington England 0 1 1
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Bishopsteignton England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 + 1929 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Exminster England 8 43 51
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Pinhoe England 0 2 2 2 "believed to be buried"
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Totnes England 0 2 2
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Dunkeswell England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Berry Pomeroy England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Halwell England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Dawlish England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Salcombe Regis England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Pytte England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Newton St. Cyres England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Diptford England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Nadderwater England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Yelverton England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Bere Alston England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Lee Moor England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Bridgwater England 0 0 0
HO 203/10 1928 23/04/1942 24/04/1942 Night 7: South Western Millbrook, Torpoint England 0 0 0

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Thanks for that Andy, that's quite some find (and all credit to the compilers for the work they must have put into it).

Re: German activity over Norfolk 23/24th April 1942
 

Yes, interesting that they have databased the HO 203 intelligence summaries.

I have been working with this and other Ministry of Home Security material for some time, so feel qualified to supplement the statement on the website's title page:

"For example, from the end of volume 14, the information about attacks becomes increasingly sparse, despite the heavy casualties caused by V rocket attacks. This seems to reflect the lessening institutional anxiety about the impact of bombing on the civilian population as the course of the war began to clearly shift in favor of Allied victory."

For researchers, this is only partially true. The HO 203 intelligence reports are ONLY summaries after all. With careful checking, most entries in the HO 203 intelligence reports can be tallied against the very comprehensive Bomb Census material in HO 198. This later series contains the real in-depth reports on individual incidents.

Cheers

Rod

PS - although not strictly answering Steve's original question, the attachments below show the type and scope of information recorded in both HO 203 and HO 198 for individual incidents.