Seventy Years Ago Tonight!

“Wikipedia” has Kirby Muxloe listed as the village ‘most bombed in England in 1941’, but it was November 19th 1940 at approximately 8:20 pm that it is thought spare bombs were dropped by enemy aircraft on their return from a raid in Coventry. A garden on the corner of Main street and Church road, alongside of the Free Church was the victim of the parachute mines.

Due to the early hour the bombs fell, there were astonishingly no fatalities excepting that of an old person who subsequently died of shock. Had the drop occurred an hour or so later when the population of Kirby had been upstairs in their beds it may have resulted in a heavy death-toll.

This is what our church building looked like the next day

Outside the church, the “Wayside Pulpit” noticeboard was left standing [just] with this apposite motto …

 

Generous friends at the Parish Church immediately volunteered their premises for our congregation to use for Sunday worship, until the Church Hall was repaired – and that was used until the new building was opened in 1953. The new foundation stone says “This Church destroyed by enemy action…” [I am frequently tempted to amend this to “the original church building” – the Church remained strong and in good heart, despite the bombs!]

Bob did suggest at a Church Meeting that we marked the anniversary with a pyrotechnic re-enactment – but we decided against that! He has however reproduced facsimile copies of the poster.

We are truly grateful for our current suite of buildings – which are in use every day of the week. This week the pulpit/platform/organ area at the front of the chapel is being restructured. Photos will follow!

The original building on the site [erected 1896,  bombed 1941] cost £2175 – the current one, opened 1953, cost £19,500. I do hope this one doesn’t ever get bombed – I can’t imagine what the rebuilding costs would be now!!