ON Sunday June 30, 1940, the church bells rang for a German paratrooper invasion around Bewdley and Stourport.

It was nothing of the sort - witnesses mistook hay blown by a passing British aircraft for invaders. The false alarm, however, provoked hours of alerts and searches and people thronged the streets to watch the spectacle.

If any readers have recollections of that Sunday, or indeed of the wartime Home Guard in general could they let me know? I am trying to research preparations in case of invasion in the Second World War. My home phone number is 01283 562462 and e-mail chiprowe@hotmail.com

MARK ROWE

43 Rosliston Road South

Burton upon Trent