When balloons
broke away, they usually dragged a long cable along behind them and these
cables often ran for thousands of feet. Despite
warnings by
the Air Ministry, in September 1940 the dangers of handling stray balloon
cables were not well known. The cable might be
attached to a
balloon and the end of the cable might be well out of sight. One of the
dangers was that the cable might well have become
dragged
across a high-voltage electricity supply and as a result carry a dangerous
electric current.
On the 2nd
of September 1940 Frank Simmons, 6. Woodside Cottages, Bolney, heard at noon
that a barrage balloon was drifting across the
woods. He
went with Frank Chapman and Harry Bolden to Stone Rocks field and
saw a balloon cable trailing across the field. Also present
were four
young lads. The balloon cable
trailed across an electricity cable, and one of the lads put his cycling
trousers clip the on cable
and said,
"It is all right; it is dead”. Simmons
and Chapman
put their feet on the cable, and Harry George Bolden, age 34, said: “I will
run
over and tie
it to the tree.”
Bolden ran
about 150 yards away to tie the cable to a tree. Simmons and Chapman felt
shocks through their feet, and they jumped clear.
Chapman
shouted:
”Harry
has got it." and Simons saw Bolden hanging on the wire and lying against
the tree. Sparks were seen running along the wire.
Simmons and
Chapman ran over at once, and that time Bolden had fallen clear the wire and
was lying in the grass. He was burning, and
Simmons and
Chapman pulled him clear.
Albeit E.
Bushrod of The Street, Bolney. said he was at Ormonde Hall just after noon
when he saw a drifting barrage balloon in the distance.
It was
south-west over Cowfold. Later Bushrod and Police-constable Rumley saw it
again, drifting towards Bolney. They followed it towards
Pickwell.
When they got near the balloon the cable was high the air. It sagged about 10
feet from the ground, and Bushrod jumped and
touched it.
He was in the air when touched it. He saw P.C. Rumley do the same thing.
Bushrod felt a shock and let go of the cable, and he
heard the
constable say: “Leave it alone; it is alive.” He had previously seen
Thomas John Jeffery, age 37, running
towards the cable from
the direction
of Bolney. Bushrod heard a groan and saw sparks by Jeffery. Bushrod and the
constable got Jeffery off the wire. Bushrod did not
see Jeffery
get hold of the wire, and he was astonished to see him under the cable. P.C.
Rumley said that when he heard Jeffery groan he
turned and
saw him lying with the wire under his right armpit. It was possible that the
wire suddenly sagged and caught Jeffery under the arm.
They got
Jeffery off the wire and commenced artificial respiration. There was no
electric cable near where they were. It was at least
three-quarters
of mile between the places where the two men were killed. The balloon looked
like it was likely to drift away again,
and
instructions
were given
for the balloon to be shot down. Mr. H. Dixon (engineer and manager of the
Central Sussex Electricity, Ltd) said
there was not
any doubt that both men were killed instantaneously.
Dr W. P.
Murray, of Cuckfield said he saw Jeffery in a field in front of Pickwell
House, Bolney, at 1.50 p.m on the previous Monday.
He was burned
right through his clothes in both arms. Dr Murray saw Bolden in another field.
The whole of the grass was burned at the place
where he
actually died. Bolden was extensively burned.
The Coroner
said he would approach the authorities concerned with a view' to ascertaining
whether there was any possibility of acquiring
compensation
pensions.
The Coroner
recorded verdict of Accidental death." and he described it is " a
most tragic happening which occurred while the men were
performing a
public duty."
Mr. Jeffery
was buried at Cuckfield Parish Church on 6th September. He had been
a bell ringer and member of the Home Guard, and for several
years was
hon. secretary of the Cuckfield Allotment Holders' Society.
Members of
the Home Guard formed a guard of honour.
Despite the
publicity from this incident more people died from similar incidents, throughout the war.
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