- Contributed by听
- Isle of Wight Libraries
- People in story:听
- Daphne Gibson
- Location of story:听
- Leyton, East London
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A6136300
- Contributed on:听
- 14 October 2005
This story was submitted to the People's War site by Simon Falla and has been added to the website on behalf of Daphne Gibson with her permission and she fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
I was eleven years old and living in Leyton, east London at the outbreak of World War 2.
At this time we had not received the Anderson shelter that was later installed in the garden with the help of friends. My father had gone to fight in the army while my mother worked as a 'Nippy' at the famous Lyon's Corner House.
In the absense of our own shelter, when the air raid siren sounded we had to rush to nearby Abbot Road Park where a tunnel had been dug to protect the residents. I remember the shelter being so crowded that I had to be careful not to kick the people on the floor as I sat on the side benches.
After our own shelter had been installed, we had a close shave when a nearby bomb blew all the windows out of our house. Our neighbours, the Breedons, a family renowned for making cricket bats, were sadly all killed in the explosion.
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