大象传媒

I had just turned 16 prior to September 3, 1939. My parents owned a boarding house which was adjacent to the Blackpool South Railway Station. The house was three stories high and from the attic there was a commanding view of the station, also the fields beyond the station which were owned by the L.M.S. Railway. Prior to the war, it was used by the L.M.S. as pasture for their horses and occasionally used by circuses such as Carmos and Sylvester's three ring circus.

One day I noticed quite a lot of activity on the fields and several soldiers erecting what appeared to be guns, they built sandbag walls around the guns which were 3.7 inch anti-aircraft guns, later on more guns were added ( Bofors ). Blackpool was a relatively safe place, there were a few bombs dropped, mainly on the air base at Squires Gate. Many times German planes were overhead but they were usually heading for Preston, Barrow in Furness or inland.

Around 2:00 a.m. one morning I was awakened by loud sounds and the house was shaking, in a half awakened state I got out of bed and was walking along the landing when I bumped into my father, the first thing I said was " that is some thunderstorm !! ", he said " that's no thunderstorm the anti-aircraft guns are firing ", of course he was absolutely right and having fought in France during WW I,he knew what he was talking about. I had joined the A.F.S. at the beginning of the war as a messenger, so I immediately got on my bicycle and sped to my post at the sub-fire station. I believe that was the night a JU 88 was shot down and crashed near Lytham. The crew were all killed and as far as I know, are buried in that area. It was the only time I recall the guns ever being fired during my time there. In 1943 I joined the Navy ( Fleet Air Arm ) but that is another part of my history.

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