Somerset's coverage of 9/11 attacks that changed the world

In the days after the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington, former editor Ken Bird wrote: “It is unusual for the Somerset County Gazette to give over large amounts of editorial space to a news item which takes place outside Taunton Deane and West Somerset.

 “It is even more rare when the story has not even occurred in this country, let alone our lovely part of it. But the terrorist atrocities in America have shocked, upset and frightened all of us.”

Today marks the 20th anniversary of the attacks, which took the lives of 2,977 people from 93 nations when three hijacked planes were flown by suicide attackers into US landmarks, and a fourth crashed in an empty field 20 minutes away from the capital city.

The first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center at 8:46am Eastern Time on a clear Tuesday morning in New York.

17 minutes later, the second plane crashed into the South Tower – leaving both towers on fire with people trapped on their upper floors.  

Within two hours, the Twin Towers collapsed.

At 9:37am, the third plane hit the west side of the Pentagon before the fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field at 10:03am after passengers fought back and prevented the hijackers from reaching their intended destination – believed to be the Capitol Building in Washington DC.

The attacks were planned and carried out by al-Qaeda, led by Osama bin Laden. 

“Everyone in Somerset has family and/or friends in America, and some of us may even know people caught up in this mindless carnage,” wrote Bird.

“So, we make no excuses for providing widespread coverage of our county’s condemnation of these heinous acts.

“As Prime Minister Tony Blair so succinctly said this week, this is not a case of America versus terrorism, but a case of the democratic free world versus terrorism.

“We in Somerset are proud to be a small part of that world.”

Below are some images and news snippets from our local papers’ coverage of the awful attacks that took place two decade ago.

Somerset County Gazette

The mayor of Taunton, Massachusetts, spoke to County Gazette reporters across the Atlantic shortly after the terrorist attacks. 

Ted Strojny, who was the city's mayor between 2000 and 2004, said: "Everyone here is very sad to learn of the tremendous tragedy in New York and Washington.

"We’re all stunned by this tragic and cowardly act of terrorism."

A man from Taunton, Massachusetts lost his son, Peter Gay, who was on board one of the planes that crashed into the World Trade Centre. 

“Our hearts and prayers go out to the victims and their families,” said Mr Strojny. 

Soon after the attacks, all flights to and from Taunton were cancelled, and the city's police and fire departments were involved in the rescue operation in New York. 

More police officers were put on duty to protect the city's key infrastructure, such as its power plant. 

“There’s outrage in our town. There’s a very strong feeling that people want those responsible punished," said Mr Strojny. 

“The last time I had a feeling anywhere close to that I experienced yesterday was when President Kennedy was assassinated.

“I don’t think America will ever be the same after the tragedy of enormous proportions yesterday.”  

Closer to home, the Norton Manor Royal Marines base near Norton Fitzwarren was put on high-security alert.

Flags at the base, and at other buildings across the county, were flown at half-mast. 

There were prayers in all churches and local councillors reflected on the events in silence before meetings at County Hall and Deane House in Taunton. 

Ahead of a CricInfo fixture against Northampton at the County Ground, Somerset's players, officials and supporters paused for a minute's silence. 

Some people from Somerset were fortunate not to have been in the Twin Towers when disaster struck. 

A mother from North Newton, Angela Burroughs, was stuck in New York after winning a GMTV phone-in competition to see Michael Jackson perform in Madison Square Garden on Monday, September 10. 

Mrs Burroughs and her friend Michelle had planned on visiting the World Trade Center, but they changed their plans at the last minute and instead went for a walk in Central Park. 

They knew that something had gone badly wrong when they were passed by hundreds of emergency vehicles. 

Mrs Burroughs told GMTV: “A lady came up to us and said a plane had gone into the tower – we thought it was an accident.

“I feel we had a lucky escape. We’re shocked. It’s unbelievable. We’re just waiting to get home.”

Tony and Lesley Davis, the aunt and uncle of Taunton-based radio presenter Dan Jennings, were not in the World Trade Center at the time of the attacks because they had jetlag. 

They arrived in New York on the Monday before the attacks and were staying in a Manhattan hotel. 

Dan, who fronted the Orchard FM breakfast show, said: “They’d planned to have breakfast on the top floor of one of the towers, but I suppose they were tired and overslept after their flight.

“If not for that, they would have been there having breakfast at the time of the attacks and there’s no way they would have got out.

“They were on their way to the buildings when it happened. They spent most of their time in Central Park as there were no skyscrapers there and saw both buildings collapse.

“They were really shaken up. It brought it home to me how they could easily have been caught up in the tragedy.”

Elsewhere, a man from Wellington, Toby Holland, was relieved to hear that his brother Nicholas, who worked in the Pentagon's maintenance team, had survived the attack on the US military headquarters building. 

Caroline McNaughton, also of Wellington, launched an appeal for victims of the tragedy.

 She wrote to businesses in Wellington and asked them to contribute to the appeal, which she donated to the American Red Cross. 

“I was so moved and wanted to be one of those people who got up and did something,” she said.  

40 sixth-form students from West Somerset Community College, Minehead, had their trip to New York's financial district and the World Trade Center cancelled. 

One of their teachers, New Yorker Andrew Brossard, said: “Fortunately, my family and friends in the city appear to be alright, although it’s very difficult to get the news of everyone.

“We called the trip off because the areas we’d have visited are so devastated it wouldn’t be right.”

Bridgwater Mercury

Father Barnaby Dowling of St Joseph's Church, Bridgwater, was in New York only four days before the attacks and knew many of the emergency service workers involved in the rescue operations. 

He also knew Father Mychal Judge, who died at the World Trade Centre. 

“It is a very tough time for all involved and the people of New York are in my thoughts," said Father Dowling.  

“I have just returned from spending four weeks out there working with local parishioners many of whom are police and firefighters who are involved in the rescue effort.

“It is difficult when you know people who are involved in the events in America, but I hope it does not stop people visiting the place.”  

The Mercury also spoke to a couple from Puriton, Nick Tucker and Anna Bryant, who were due to get married at the World Trade Center in January 2002. 

They had to rearrange their wedding and were considering tying the knot at the Empire State Building instead. 

“We can’t believe what has happened and our thoughts are with the people who have died," said Nick. 

“We were supposed to be going to New York for a weekend so we could get married. We wanted to do something a bit different and as one of the towers had a marriage licence we thought it would be a good place.

“Now we are hoping to stick to the date we set but we are trying to make other arrangements." 

A newly married Bridgwater couple, Rav and Claire Grewal, were unable to take off from Gatwick Airport for their honeymoon in Cancún, Mexico. 

They got married at St Mary's Church on September 1, but they were unable to fly after the news broke of a security alert in America. 

When their plane eventually did depart, the couple decided not to travel. 

Rav, a welder, said: “The pilot asked everyone to get off the plane and then I switched my mobile phone on, and we had loads of calls from family and friends telling us we should not go.

"The flight would have gone into American air space and so if we had left when we were supposed to, we would probably have to have been turned back.

“After a couple of hours, we were told the pilot was prepared to fly and people who wanted to continue with the holiday could do so.

“But we were already a bit jittery because of the original delay and we decided we did not want to go.

"There is no doubt in our minds we did the right thing and we feel relieved we did not go.

"Our thoughts are with the people involved in the tragic events.”

Reverend Peter Richmond, chairman of Christians Together in Bridgwater, told the Mercury: “All the churches have held memorial services and when we met for our quarterly meeting, we began and ended the meeting with prayers for the people who have been affected by this tragedy.”  

Thousands of people across the district observed a three-minute silence to remember victims of the attacks, and a book of condolence was placed in the reception area of Bridgwater House in King Square for written messages. 

The book remained in place until the end of October 2001, when it was sent to the American Embassy. 

Chard and Ilminster News 

A Chard-born finance worker and his wife made the last-minute decision not to go up the World Trade Center towers, which may have saved their lives. 

Paul Murphy and his wife Rachael, who were expecting a baby, were staying in the World Trade Center complex but decided to visit a department store rather than have breakfast in the Twin Towers. 

Paul's mother, Sylvia, a lay reader at Chard's St Mary's Church, said: “It was a huge relief to find out he was alive when he phoned. It all came down to a very lucky decision not to go up the tower.

“They told me they were enjoying a pot of coffee in the hotel at the Twin Tower complex and were either going to have breakfast there or go up to the viewing area, but at the last minute Rachael suggested going to Macy’s instead.

“When they got out of the subway, they saw the destruction and couldn’t believe how close they’d been.

“All the things they had with them were lost when the towers came down, but we’ve been very fortunate where others haven’t. If Rachael had not wanted breakfast elsewhere, I would have been a bereaved mum."

The News also reported that a three-minute silence in Chard was marred by "a blantant lack of disrespect" from shoppers and teenagers. 

The report said that two teenage girls continued talking and sniggering when they approached the groups respecting the silence, while a man ran up Fore Street during the silence to use a telephone kiosk. 

One observer said: “The world has changed forever, and they have not even noticed.”

Burnham and Highbridge Weekly News 

The Weekly News led with the response of local churches to the attacks. 

Special services were held across the district after 9/11, including at St John’s Church in Highbridge and St Andrew’s Church in Burnham.

Reverend Mark Bonds of St John's said: “We have all been appalled by the events which have unfolded before our eyes on the television.

“Our common humanity has been deeply outraged by the apparent disregard for the sanctity of human life. We are shocked by the level of fanaticism which has driven people to plan and execute such an extreme action.

“Some will want to respond with powerful acts of vengeance, yet experience and the Christian Tradition teach us that revenge only exacerbates the situation and leads to a further escalation of violence.

“Our focus needs to be primarily on the bereaved, the injured, the traumatised and the grieving.”

Read more: 

9/11 attack timeline - how the 9/11 terror attacks unfolded

9/11 attack: Twin Towers September 11, 2001 in pictures