The blast had removed several large areas of roof tiles, but more noticeable were the frail old leaded light windows, which had been blown in, then almost sucked out. I suppose it was the local council,       who came in a very short time and covered the openings with a heavy bitumised paper. After checking on the family I headed eagerly down to the wood.

A large area had been stripped clean and only the larger oaks albeit shaved of bark remained. The hot twisted wreckage lay a few feet from the crater, and I well remember pouring some warm water over it, and watching the steam rise.

In the following days we lost three or four cows due to a high tensile wire that was wound around the compressor of the V1, the explosion fragmented this, showering the grass for hundreds of yards with lethal short strands which were eaten by the poor unsuspecting beasts.