Newquay AFS crew, Swilly
23 April 1941 · Plymouth, Devon
View this record on the map →- Date
- 23 April 1941
- Record type
- Historic bombing area
- Bomb type
- HE
- Casualties
- 5
- Location
- Plymouth, Devon
- Position accuracy
- Confirmed event, approximate point (mutual-aid crew, exact incident street not traced)
What happened
Auxiliary Fire Service crews were sent to Plymouth from across the West Country during the Blitz. Newquay's nine-man volunteer crew was hit by a bomb as it arrived on the night of 23 April 1941, killing five of them.
Casualty note
Five of a nine-man crew killed and two badly wounded; one of the dead died the same day at Swilly Hospital.
Also worth knowing
Filed under Plymouth because that is where it happened, though the loss belongs to Newquay — photographs and a memorial bell stand at Newquay fire station. 41 firefighters died in total during the Plymouth Blitz, including crews from Saltash. The coordinate is an area estimate for the Swilly district, not the incident street.