In the late hours of Monday 14th April/early hours of Tuesday 15th April 1941 (this was the Easter holiday which came to be known as 'Black Easter') 15 Queen's Road , Portland was demolished by a world war two bomb killing 6 members of the Farwell family and an unborn child of of about 8 months.

There would have been nine members of this large family at Queen's Road on that night: ARCHER (Dad), Nellie(Mum), Charles Walter (Babe), his wife Charlotte (Lottie), and five of Archer and Nellie's children; Violet Christina, Rosalind Marian (Dinah), Cecil (Albert), Lionel and Peter.

The eldest son Archie was away at sea and served on the Arctic Convoys, whilst elder daughters Doll and Lil were married as was son Les. Arthur (Len) lived at the family home but was attending the Easter dance. The previous week had been Les's wedding. Les was a Lance Bombardier with 103/522 Coastal Regiment whilst Len served in Africa.

On that fateful evening, the three youngest boys, Albert 16, Lionel 11 and Peter 9 were luckily sleeping in the Anderson Shelter in the garden. When the bomb struck they were buried alive for 15 hours whilst people tried to dig them out. Eventually they emerged with fingers raw and bleeding where they had been trying to escape. All of them had perforated ear drums. The question now was where would they live and who with?

Archer was not so lucky. Born on 26th July 1889 at Bridport he was 51 years old when the family home took a direct hit. The blast was so severe that he was embedded in the wall and chimney. Luckily family were able to identify him but only because of his snake tattoo on his throat. The girls were identified by their jewellery although his youngest daughter Dinah could not be identified and therefore was not issued a death certificate

In 1909, Archer had married Nellie Matthews at the Brackenbury Memorial Church on Portland. He was named after the jockey Fred Archer and was one of ten children born to George Abbott Farwell and Annie Farwell (nee Jeffery). He came from a very poor background with his mother and several younger siblings being admitted to the workhouse, a fate he fortunately avoided.

Throughout his shortened life he had been in catering with the army and had moved home several times. He served in the First World war in France in the Royal Garrison Artillery as a Gunner: regimental number 160031. When he was called up he already had five children under eight years old.

In later life he was a stone sawyer, but having contracted TB he was no longer fit enough for the quarries and became a park attendant

He is buried at St George's Reforne on the Island of Portland with his wife Nellie, three children Babe, Violet and Dinah and his daughter-in-law Lottie. In death not divided.