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Several delayed action bombs were dropped that night, one within 30 yards of our Church!
The old church building.
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In the mid 1950s a book was written about TCM church by one its past pastors, the Rev Radford. The book was called These Five and Twenty Years – a brief history of This book is an interesting read and a copy for loan can be found in our library. Below is an interesting extract from These Five and Twenty Years – a brief history of A fateful night and our returning men We shall never forget the fateful night of Friday, the 15th January 1943, when we had a very sharp air raid on our city and HE bombs and Incendiaries were showered over us. Several delayed action bombs were dropped that night, one within 30 yards of our Church. As the hours and days went by, one by one these bombs exploded and did their deadly work, all save the one near to us.
How we rejoiced that God had seen fit to allow us to suffer no damage. We gave Him the glory then, and we still do, for let it be remembered that of all the bombs dropped within the city boundary that night, the one near to us was the only one which did not explode. From the Thank offering taken at the Thanksgiving meeting we sent gifts to all those in our city who had suffered loss. During the Sundays when our Church was closed, we worshipped with our friends at One by one our men and women returned. How glad we were to have them back at home. With a view to getting them into touch once more with civil and church life, a Men’s Fellowship was formed. Our men felt the need for comradeship. It was strange to be back in the little home circle after mixing with the crowds of men in a camp. It was not easy to settle down and take one’s place again after an absence of so many years. In some cases the Men’s Fellowship meeting has helped and a number of our men are back in “active service” for the King of Kings. We wish we could say the same about them all. Some hardly ever come now. If they should read this paragraph may it stir up a longing in their hearts to return to the Church of their youth. We should like to sincerely assure them of a loving and friendly welcome. They were never forgotten during the time they were away, either in our prayers or in our correspondence, and we are convinced that God, in answer to our prayers, brought them safely home. The Men’s Fellowship meeting is not confined to ex-service men. Each Monday night in the winter months they meet for discussion and study, preparing themselves for the many tasks which need to be done, not the least being the summer open-air campaign in city and country. |
After a week of anxious waiting, the Bomb Disposal Squad began the task of removing it. They had to dig down twenty-four feet before they came across it. What heroes these fellows were! On Wednesday the 27th January, it was laid bare, and the work of removing the fuse began. From the afternoon until seven o’clock in the evening the work went on, and at last the efforts of those two gallant officers of the Bomb Disposal Squad were rewarded and the bomb was “killed”.