Page 7, 14th February 1941

14th February 1941

Page 7

Page 7, 14th February 1941 — BLITZ ON CHURCHES DOES NOT ABATE
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Organisations: Stanford
People: Mile End, Neill
Locations: Portsmouth

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BLITZ ON CHURCHES DOES NOT ABATE

Another Victim is Portsmouth Cathedral
Particulars of a fresh onslaught that has been made on yet another of our churches by German air vandalism may now be revealed. St. John's Cathedral, Portsmouth, and the Bishop's House alongside are the latest sufferers. Six members of the House's domestic staff have been killed, hut three priests worked with unflagging courage and determination with rescue parties in a vain attempt at rescue.
The three priests are the Very Rev. J. P. O'Neill, Administrator of the Cathedral, the Rev. A. Quinn, and Fr. P. O'Connor, P.S.M.
Fifteen people attached to the Cathedral and clergy house, including the three priests, were sheltering during a recent raid in two cellars when the inner walls collapsed with the explosion. The three priests and six others were saved by girders which held on one side and kept the debris off them.
Fr. O'Neill scrambled out, only to find more bombs and incendiaries falling, and he reached a public shelter nearby to obtain assistance and rescuers..
The work was made more difficult by water pouring from a tank on the roof, and after rescue attempts for the six (five women and a sacristan) were abandoned, joor hums later if 1170.5 found that the party of rescuers had been trampling over delayed action bomb buried in the ruins.
BISHOP'S HOUSE IS STRUCK
Being the last to enter the shelter, Fr. O'Neill had sat next the enhance on the same Nide as the majority of the occupants, while on the opposite side, next to an inside wall which was considered the safest part of the cellar, were the domestic staff.
It was early in the raid that the Bishop's House was struck by three high explosive brirribs, and the whole building collapsed in a heap of ruins. The inner wall of the zellar crumbled under the shock and terrific weight, and buried the occupants on that side. Service men and civilians arrived, and on learning that fourteen persons were still trapped in the cellar, made their way to the Cathedral. One or two of the occupants were got out quickly, but after that the wells of lescue became more difficult.
A large water tank storing about two thousand gallons had been destroyed, and the water was pouring down upon the wreckage, drenching those being rescued iI not endangering their lives by drowning.
The work of rescue went on for seven al hours before time persons weie brought to safety. Ignoring all thought of personal danger, frantic efforts were made to reach the other six persons who were known to be buried beneath the wall which had fallen upon them, and it was not until three o'clock in the morning that hope at getting them out alive was abandoned.
PRIESTS LOST EVERYTHING The whoie of the personal belongings of the three priests had been destroyed, and all they possessed were the clothes they were wearing at the time. All of them were drenched to the skim and Fr. O'Neill was led away by a petty officer to a nearby building. which itself was in flames, and there friends provided him with a change of various articles of clothing.
Shortly after daybreak Fr. Stanford, of St. Colman's, Cosham, entered the badlydamaged Cathedral and rescued the Blessed Sacrament, which was removed to the Convent of the Holy Souls, Mile End.




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