A POIGNANT service was held at St John the Baptist Church in Niton to continue to hold dear the Isle of Wight village's remembrance of the eight people who died in a Nazi air attack 80 years ago.

The Luftwaffe bombed sleepy Niton village on June 1, 1943 — and things were never same again.

SCROLL DOWN FOR PHOTOS

Isle of Wight County Press: St Catherine's Point Lighthouse keepers William Jones, Richard Grenfell and Charles Tompkins, who are buried together in a dedicated Trinity House grave, at St John’s Parish Church, Niton.St Catherine's Point Lighthouse keepers William Jones, Richard Grenfell and Charles Tompkins, who are buried together in a dedicated Trinity House grave, at St John’s Parish Church, Niton. (Image: Andy Osborn)

It remains the single biggest event in Niton's history.

St Catherine’s Lighthouse took a direct hit, with three Trinity House lighthouse keepers and two soldiers killed.

The three keepers — William Jones, Richard Grenfell and Charles Tompkins — are buried together in a dedicated Trinity House grave, at St John’s Parish Church.

It was at St John's where villagers came together for a special service recently to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the bombing.

Among those who attended was James Potter, HM Coastguard's Ventnor station officer; Peter Osborne, who was at Niton School the day the village was bombed; and David Hiles, born in Niton in 1938 and of Blackgang Road, who had already been evacuated to Oxford at that time during the Second World War. 

Isle of Wight County Press: From left: Gareth Jones, great nephew of lighthouse keeper William Jones, who died in the 1943 Niton bombing, David Hiles, born in Niton, and James Potter, station officer at Ventnor Coastguard.From left: Gareth Jones, great nephew of lighthouse keeper William Jones, who died in the 1943 Niton bombing, David Hiles, born in Niton, and James Potter, station officer at Ventnor Coastguard. (Image: Paddie Collyer)

Mr Potter laid flowers on the tomb of the three lighthouse keepers who died in the raid. 

Aged ten at the time, Mr Osborne, 90, who still lives in Niton, remembers the teacher shouting for the pupils to get under their desks as bombs exploded.

Mr Hiles, now of Harrow, was coincidentally in Niton visiting family, which allowed him to attend the anniversary service.

His father was the village 'bobby' when Niton was attacked, and knew the lighthouse keepers. 

Mr Hiles brought along with him one of the enormous lighthouse bulbs, which had been rescued from the rubble.

Isle of Wight County Press: A poignant photo of St Catherine's Lighthouse taken by a Nazi bomber pilot seconds before it was hit, killing three lighthouse keepers and two soldiers.A poignant photo of St Catherine's Lighthouse taken by a Nazi bomber pilot seconds before it was hit, killing three lighthouse keepers and two soldiers. (Image: Niton Village Historical Group)

Gareth Jones, whose great uncle, William Jones, one of the lighthouse keepers killed, also attended and read a moving account of the events on June 1, 1943.

A large congregation attended the service — which had the appropriate theme of light throughout it — led by the Rev Roger Whatley, with procession to the grave, where flowers were laid and prayers led by Dr Paddie Collyer. 

"It was a morning of revelations, renewals and new friendships being made as people exchanged stories and anecdotes," Mr Collyer said.  

During the air raid, the bombs landed and exploded on a house just 20m from the school, with nearby resident, Mr. J. Jacobs, was killed, and his wife, badly injured, in their house on Institute Hill.

The Undercliff Hotel, the HQ at the time for local army and RAF personnel, was also bombed — killing two soldiers, while one woman worker was buried in the rubble and survived.