First Air Raid of WWII – 18

Eye-witness accounts

The approach of the bombers had been watched by workmen busy building air-raid shelters beneath the arches of the bridge at North Queensferry.  One, Adam McMahon, had noticed the bombers approaching along the north shore of the river and watched as one aircraft circled over Rosyth. This may have been the aircraft of Pohle himself as he tried to locate the Hood. The explosion of Pohle’s two 500kg bombs occurred at 14.35 hours.

This was followed by a third loud report as the door of an outside toilet was thrown back. An officer emerged and, seemingly unaware that his trousers were still draped around his ankles, started shouting orders to the soldiers guarding the bridge.

At precisely the same moment Provost Walker of South Queensferry exclaimed to his wife, ‘By gosh, that’s like bombing!’

As the bombing started. Bill Maxwell, who was driving the Cowdenbeath ambulance onto the ferry at Hawes Pier, South Queensferry, at the time, immediately set about the evacuation of his patients to the nearby shelter where they were given tea by the VAD (Voluntary Aid Detachment).

According to schoolgirl. Ella Boyle:

“I was with my mother, father and younger brother visiting friends in Jamestown near Inverkeithing. I went out to play with my brother and the two children of the family we were visiting.

I can remember two planes flew over and some smaller planes that were much faster arrived and we heard the guns.  This happened right above us.  The two that were attacked flew over the Forth towards the bridge and we saw the bombs fall.  It looked like they were trying for the bridge, at this time we did not realise that they were bombs and kept watching.  None of the bombs hit the bridge but hit the water where spouts of water went into the air and I felt pain in my cars. A ship that was almost under the bridge was hit with a bomb and I saw men jumping from the ship into the water.

At this time my father and mother came running up the hill, grabbed us and took us to the house. As this was happening I watched one of the bigger planes being shot at and pieces falling off.  My mother and father took us into the house and I could only listen to the engines and shots being fired.

A few days after.  I was at a funeral and saw two coffins.  My mother told me it was two of the Germans from the planes we saw.”

With his attack now complete, Pohle recovered altitude and maintained position, circling over Inverkeithing, from where he was able to observe attacks made by the second wave led by Storp at 14.38.  In the absence of his canopy it was very draughty.  He was also about to attract fire from the anti-aircraft gunners.