Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Hello,

In translating the Heinrich Weiss manuscript for 30.12.40, we ran across this target reference:

"One Do 17Z had flown along the Norwich-Thetford railway through drizzling rain. The aircraft attacked the Gaymer Apple Wine Factory at Attleborough. The factory was set on fire. One seriously injured person was reported. Two killed and four injured were reported from Stradishall airfield."

The exact German reference says: ""Apfelwein-Fabrik Gaymer." Why would the Luftwaffe have attacked an apple cider factory, unless it was just a target of opportunity that got bombed by accident. Perhaps this company was making some other strategic war supply (medicinal spirits?). Does anyone have any insight into what this attack could have been about? Hardly seems worth risking an aircraft and crew to bomb an apple cider factory. It was the day before New Year's eve.

Regards,

Larry Hickey
EoE Project Coordinator

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Records acknowledge the attack but nothing to say that anything other than cider was bring produced. The factory was located by a railway line so maybe this was a reason?

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

I seriously doubt that the Luftwaffe tasked an aircraft with that specific target. No doubt that the factory was hit (possibly inadvertantly) when the Dornier off-loaded & Heinrich Weiss simply picked up on local reports of the damage caused & correctly linked them to the sortie concerned when compiling his post-war chronicle.

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

""Apfelwein-Fabrik Gaymer." Why would the Luftwaffe have attacked an apple cider factory

So Bloss ! to ruin the brit. spirit for sure !

Rémi

This bad news makes me thirsty, I hope that for this year end nobody here will stay parched !

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Rémi,

if there is any shortness of cider in GB even today, You possibly may send some Cidre from Brittany or Normandy over the channel to calm thirsty throats?

Cheerio and a happy takeoff in 2014
Norbert :)

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

MJFB in Air Raid! p125, has "Thick drizzle covered East Anglia during 30 December. A Ju 88 following the Norwich-Thetford railway broke cloud near Attleborough and, spotting the distinctive shape of Gaymer's Cider factory, released five HEs and an oil bomb which hit the factory and seriously damaged it. An old part of the factory was soon aflame. One employee was wounded and his leg had to be amputated."
Photo atop p127 is captioned: "Wreckage of the bottling department at Gaymers cider factory following the attack by a Ju 88 on 30 December 1940."
Police records indicate 6 HE and an unspecified No of IBs were dropped at Attleborough on this date. 1 civilian injured.

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Larry,
Does the Weiss MSS say anything about the attack on Middlesbrough railway station on 3 August 1942? I've been on the trail of the perpetrators for almost 30yrs!
Bill Norman (www.billnorman.co.uk)

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Bill-If I am not much mistaken, the Weiss document finishes in early 1941. Sorry!

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

Chris - sounds like my kind of luck.. Ah, well, thanks for responding.
Bill

Re: Strange German bombing target for 30.12.40 attack
 

I am still trying to find out which Spitfires were up and about on your date apart from 485 Sqn