- Contributed by听
- Lynda Anne
- People in story:听
- The Williams Family
- Location of story:听
- Sittingbourne, Kent
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A2969201
- Contributed on:听
- 03 September 2004
My mothers family was born and raised in Sittingbourne during WW2. These two short story's were told to me by my Grandmother Ivy and Grandfather Harry Williams back in the 70's when I was in my teens.
In 1940, my Grandparents lived in Pembury Street. My Grandfather was away somewhere in the Royal Artillery, and my Grandmother was left to bring up two young sons, Douglas and Ronald. During an air-raid my Uncle Doug was out playing in Sittingbourne Rec watching the dog-fights going on above in the skys. My Gran being in a panic because she couldnt find Doug, grabbed Ronald and went out looking for him. She had already asked Ron if he knew where his brother was and he said ''up the rec'' she ran up Park Road and into Albany Road. On entering Sittingbourne Rec she saw him standing in the open looking skywards. ''You little bugger'' she shouted ''What have I told you about coming home when you hear the siren?''. She clipped him round the ear and dragged him home.
Another time when my Grandfather was home on leave was when the Germans dropped bombs at the bottom of Park Road killing a young woman and her baby. My Grandfather was one of the first to arrive on the scene and helped find the woman and her baby. All he said about this incident was '' She was as dead as a dodo and the babe too'' I think it upset him abit as he said no more on the subject. I've never forgot it though. In 1941 my mother Sylvia was born, she remembers nothing of the war, but my uncles' always did, Doug died in 2003 and Ron never speaks about the war years, He is still alive, as is my mother.
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