|
In Name Only - The Blitz
Written and Researched by C.W.Sheldon
Published by Three Counties Publishing (Books) Ltd
Retail: £13.95
To purchase this publication please write to:
TCP (Books) Ltd
P.O. Box 435,
Leek
Staffordshire
ST13 5TB
United Kingdom
|
|
The Blitz
At the beginning of September 1940, Adolf Hitler made a monumental mistake. A mistake which would give the exhausted RAF
fighter pilots, the 'Few', the breathing space they so desperately needed. A mistake which would eventually lose him the
war. He directed the main efforts of his bombers away from the fighter airfields and on to the capitol, London, with the
intention of destroying the morale of the British people. so began what was to be called 'The Blitz'.
Night after night, the Luftwaffe rained bombs on London killing and injuring civilians indiscriminately and making many
homeless. The overstretched London Fire Brigade fought wearily to contain the raging fires. The raids continued throughout
the remainder of September, through October and November. over 12,000 people were killed in those three months alone.
Other cities also suffered heavy raids; the bombing of Coventry during a night of terror on 14th/15th November 1940, will
never be forgotten by the people of the Midlands. in December, the German High Command realised that their plans for the
total destruction of London and the crushing of the morale of the British people were not working. they had failed to
destroy the Royal Air Force in the summer and the capital in the autumn and winter.
On September 17th, Hitler had postponed his plans indefinitely for the invasion of Britain. The air raids continued across
Britain until May 1941, but to a lesser degree.
But it was during those terrifying raids at the peak of the 'Blitz' on London that a young guardsman from Leek was killed.
Guardsman Ronald Bostock, 4th Battalion, The Grenadier Guards
Ron Bostock was one of four brothers raised at 27 London Street, Leek when he married, he moved to 19 Osbourne Street, Leek
with his wife. This proud young soldier, a cousin to the boxer; Tiny Bostock, had joined the Grenadier Guards in March 1940,
completed his basic training and performed spells of duty at Windsor Castle, St James Palace and Downing Street. His youngest
brother; Harry remembers him volunteering for the guards:
"Ron was a big lad, very fit and smart. Before the war he worked at Tatton's bakers with Albert Carding and the two of them
used to swim across Rudyard Lake every Monday when they had their half-day off. knowing he was due for call-up, he volunteered
for the Guards and was accepted. The bombing in London was terrible when he was there and he would come home on leave, even
for just a night, to get some sleep."
On the night of 20th October 1940, German bombers again raided London. At that time, Ron Bostock was billeted in barracks in
Wanstead Flats. Bombs fell on the barracks and a number of the soldiers including Ron, who was then aged only 20, were killed.
His poor wife receieved the awful news within hours of the birth of their only son. Ron was brought back to Leek and his
funeral was held at All Saints Church. Sadly, the Bostock family would receive another crushing blow three years later when
a second brother; Fred, a Lance Corporal in the North Staffords was killed on active service in Italy. Albert Carding, Ron's
workmate also died as a result of enemy bomning five months after Ron's death. we will return to these two unfortunate men
later in this book.
By an ironic and tragic twist of fate, no less than five young servicemen from London Street, Leek, including the two Bostock
brothers were to be killed during the war. Even worse, a sixth servicman. Leonard haywood, was to die in India from disease
in 1944, but for reasons not known, was not recorded on the monument plaques. Consequently, he is not recorded amongst the
101 in this book.
Guardsman Ronald Bostock is buried in Leek Cemetery, Grave 12077.
|
|
