After the last fly-over of British planes

After the last fly-over of British planes

Dateline 14th July 1943

A communique written by the Swiss authorities after a mass fly over of RAF aircraft. Two aircraft crashed, bombs and propaganda leaflets were dropped. The area most affected was Fribourg but three other areas reported bombing - Riggisberg, Flammart and Fridbourg

1943-07-14

One typewritten sheet

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MWrightJ[Ser#-DoB]-150527-12

Dateline 14th July 1943

After the last fly-over of British planes

The following communique concerning the massive fly over of our air space during the night of 12/13th July, has been issued:

In all, two English four engine bombers crashed to the ground, the first as already reported near Bouveret and the second to the south of Sion. Enquiries are still in progress had still not established whether the crashes were caused by the defensive fire of our Ack-Ack or if it was the result of the bad weather.

From different places, notably from the Fribourg district came reports of incendiary and explosive bombs having been dropped; some of the caused considerable material damage. Propaganda sheets, aimed the Italian population were also dropped.
Reports from outlying areas:

Riggisberg, 13th. An incendiary bomb fell in the middle of the village of Riggisburg on a house situated between the ALDER Restaurant and the post office building. The bomb crashed through the roof and set fire to the house occupied by four people. The house is completely burned out but fortunately its occupants were able to reach safety. The adjoining building was equally gutted. In this case, too, the occupants were not harmed. Almost all the windows in the village were smashed. Numerous roofs were more or less torn off by the rush of air. An explosive bomb also fell in the district of Riggisburg. A house situated at about 200 metres from the village was so damaged that its walls now lean at and angle and will have to be completely demolished. Here too, no one was hurt. On the other hand, damage caused was considerable.

Flammart; 13th. During Tuesday night a bomb dropped by a plane exploded near some houses of the Bergli hamlet in the parish of Ueberstrof. The explosion caused damage to crops and houses over the radius of 800 metres. The houses nearest to where the bomb fell (about 150 metres suffered considerable damage. The windows of all the houses were shattered. It appears to be a higher-powered bomb that normal. There were no casualties.

Fridboarg 13th. During Tuesday night bombs were dropped on the hamlet of Praratout, attached to the Fribourg enclosure of Surpierre, three kilometres from Lucens.
During the night of Tuesday, a bomb fell over Les Geneveys-sur-Coffrane (Val de Ruz). It fell in the forest about 50 metres from the farm of M.A Nydegger which suffered considerable damage. In the fields one animal was hurt.

Concerning the plane that fell at Thyon above Mayens de Sion, we are informed that there would appear to have been eight victims whose bodies were hard to recover, scattered as they were amongst the debris spread over an area 150 metres in diameter. The bomber crashed against the hillside.