AN author has tried to definitively confirm how many people really died on the most tragic day in Bournemouth’s history.

Angela Beleznay’s new book on the German air raid of May, 1943 has tried to trace everyone that was killed by the 25 high explosive bombs that landed on the town. Details about the damage caused by the raid were shrouded in secrecy and confused by the number of visiting soldiers, so estimates of the dead have varied.

A 26-strong force of Focke Wulf 190 fighters destroyed 59 buildings including the Metropole Hotel at The Lansdowne, now built over with Bournemouth University ’s Royal London House.

Angela, from Southbourne , said: “We will never find an exact figure for how many people died – that’s being straight.

“As far as I can ascertain, because many people died weeks later, and there were unrecoverable bodies, I think we are probably talking 130-odd. I am taking 131 as the best figure.”

The official records, put together for the first time, show 81 civilian deaths, 16 from the RAF, seven from the Royal Australian Air Force, 11 from the Royal Canadian Air Force, six from the army and navy, six from the United States army – and two from the Luftwaffe.

Angela’s five years of research and writing has produced new material including one German pilot’s letters home.

Lt Leopold ‘Poldi’ Wenger wrote: “We attacked Bournemouth very effectively, a large number of bombs were dropped and considerable destruction caused. This large scale attack has made a big impression on your young pilots, and has raised their enthusiasm for these missions considerably.”

Other material includes German photos taken during the raid and new interviews with Bournemouth residents.

Angela said: “I have written this book as a tribute to the people who died and it’s part of the plan for a memorial in the town.”

The book’s title, ‘Incident 48: Raid on a South Coast Town’, remembers how the attack was reported under war time censorship, even in Bournemouth.

The 176-page book is published by Natula Limited and is priced at £9.95.