During the morning of 7th December 1943, a German plane flew over the Brede parish and fired its machine guns at ‘targets’ across the area. At Brede Hill, Brede, Violet Lewry was with her daughter on the way to catch a bus. Hearing the plane, she attempted to take cover in a shed, but the bullets passed through the shelter. Violet’s daughter, 14 month old Joyce Lewry, was wounded by these bullets and died later that day at the Buchanan Hospital.
There is some doubt about the exact location of the incident, as some sources say it happened at Westfield. However, Violet and Joyce lived at Hare Farm Cottages, Brede and the image shows the closest bus stops. As the attack took place in the morning, it’s possible that she might not have travelled to Westfield that early.