At 1pm on Sunday the 23rd May 1943, German fighter bombers, approximately 10 Focke Wulf 190s, swept across Hastings and St Leonards in a ‘tip and run’ raid. They dropped 25 high explosive bombs and sprayed machine gun fire indiscriminately. The raid was the second worst for the town in terms of casualties, with 25 people killed in total and 85 injured, 30 seriously. Among the buildings suffering damage from the raid were the Albany Hotel, Warrior House Hotel, Swan Hotel, Reeves Antique Shop, Old Town, Warrior Gate Public House, Norman Road and Gensing Road.
Ethel Twist, aged 28, was killed at Marine Court during the attack. It is unclear whether she was killed by an explosion or machine gun fire.
Hastings and St Leonards Observer – Saturday 05 June 1943
Miss Ethel Twist The funeral took place cortege was met at the cemetery guard honour formed by members of the Women’s Land Army, of which Miss Twist was a member. …..