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Samuel Swanson Gordon: WW2 Memories

My earliest memories of number 29 Capel Street are of a large metal bed used as a shelter during our days at Capel. This was called a 'Morrison Shelter'.

Memories of fighter pilots walking down Capel St - Mum told me later that most were only teenagers. Before soldiers moved into next door, lady who was moving out gave me a large box full of Dinky toys. I can remember playing with these, in particular running model of single decker bus along top of garden wall as a local single decker bus went by. Also wandering into an area full of beehives and being badly stung, and of a dog given to us by a local farmer - this Lurcher dog we named Sandy. Farmer was parting with Sandy because of his habit of eating the farmer's chicken eggs.

Soldiers billeted next door would pull up vegetables and hand them over to Mum. A local man told Mum not to let us play in the woods next door because of wild cats. Soldiers helped Mum untangle Sandy from barbed wire at times.

One got used to noise of guns being fired from near the cliff-top. Recently (2005) a Miss Richmond showed me where guns were positioned on rails in her back garden during WW2, several yards from cliff edge and 'dog fights'.

The next thing I remember is moving from Capel in an ancient van to Marshall St. Folkestone. In later years we used to have a laugh with Mum over this. Most sensible people if they were able to moved out of Folkestone. We actually moved nearer to the front; there was certainly more action. There was not always room to go to the usual spot in the cupboard under the stairs when sirens sounded. I can remember an air raid going off - we had visitors at the time. I was put under the front room table with young Mary Heron who was visiting with her mother. There was an explosion and plaster came crashing down on the table but nobody was harmed. I can never remember any of us being frightened. Mum always said if alert sounded make for Bowman's (?) shop if we were near. There were shelters in the street but I can never remember using them for that purpose, only to play in them. Bombed buildings down harbour area - for years used as playground and later on in life when several of us had pigeons as a supply for wood, to build our lofts and birds.

The Anderson shelter in the garden was never used by us. We always stayed together, as did all our neighbours and friends.

My first day at school, (1942) at George Spurgeon in Sidney Street. Memories of M Fogg /M Samson. We were shown what to do when air raid sounded. We had to file into shelter in corner of the playground and to keep our spirits up we would sing. The only song I can remember is 'Green Bottles' - that went on and on and on. I can remember standing on the corner of Marshall Street and Athelstan Road with our gang - in no particular order, Alan and Joey Parker, Ted Dray, Reg Hurtilla,, Percy Goodman, George Bowies, Donald Williams etc., watching dog fights as our fighters engaged the enemy. Of aircraft spiralling down and parachutes opening up, hoping they were the enemy and wishing their aircraft would land nearby for chance of souvenirs. The most dramatic occurrence was when bomb hit Bridge Street. Some of the walking wounded and shocked survivors made their way to Marshall Street with young children and babies in arms covered from head to foot in soot. While I was told blast from explosion had sucked soot into their rooms. All were given help if they were injured plus food and drink.

At about this time our dog Sandy who had been called up for service was wounded. We received instructions to pick him up from Junction Station. I went with Mum to meet him. He had been wounded and had a large gash in his leg, left untreated. When the wound healed he was soon out with us looking for rabbits. Local boys respected Sandy for his talent and would often ask to borrow him when they went up the hills. We would be on the lookout for war debris, e.g. live bullets, perspex, aircraft parts. Live bullets would be thrown on fire; we would make a run for it with bullets going off in all directions. Perspex would be drilled with hot poker to make into rings. Anything else of value would be taken to our local scrap yard 'Ginger Baker's', along with rabbit skins, jam jars, papers, redundant clothing. Bakers must have been one of the few scrap yards that had received bits of scrap fighter planes.
Towards end of war we were taken to mums sister Pat, and brother Jim. We went for a walk and came upon an apple orchard with huge red apples, we each picked up one from the ground we were enjoying our treat, when along came a farmer and told us to put them down, he said they were for his pigs! I remember on that day aircraft towing gliders going over Wye- with hindsight , I think they were full of paratroopers heading for Holland. I would always try and help out at,’ Snape's farm.Where, ‘Holywell’ flats are situated, as you turn in from ‘Hawkinge road. During the war a Bofors gun was sited just to the right of the field gate, I would help the cow man whenever I could, to bring the cows in for milking and unless my memory is at fault, one day a Bofors gun commenced firing just as we entered the field, to the best of my memory cows did not panic. We would turn right out of the field towards Folkestone, then right again about 100 yards down the road into Snape’s farm and milking shed. I can remember one of the girls squirting milk over me as I passed. I also remember observing Canadian soldiers billeted in the grounds of ‘Snapes’farm. Sometimes having a wash in bowls of blue coloured water, I asked why the water was blue ,they told me the blue was added to make the water safe. I also watched another Canadian soldier who was leaning against a tree at the junction of Canterbury road and New road, he was whittling a block of wood. He said it was to be a model of a tank for his son. I think these soldiers were waiting to take part in the invasion of France.I can remember Jeeps hurtling up and down the New road.

One of the many pets I had as a youngster was a hedgehog I named Joey, who decided to stay under the gas oven. When I called he would come out into the hallway and attempt to catch me. This story was submitted to the PEOPLES WAR site by Larry Liddiard a volunteer of the Folkestone Library team on behalf of Samual Swanson Gordon and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions WAR

One morning mum came into our bedroom, there were three of us in the same bed, She said,’ get up the war is over’.


Samuel Swanson Gordon:

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