大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Edward Fawcett for Three Counties Action on behalf of Ken Turner and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
In 1940 when Churchill became Prime Minister there was a sudden surge of confidence and optimism throughout the whole country, a feeling of we're going to be all right now. Nobody ever missed his speeches when they were on the radio.At home we had an Anderson shelter out doors and later a Morrison shelter indoors. My bed was on top of it. We had raids in Potters Bar.My father was a policeman in the City of London force and I remember him coming home once and he appeared very shaken.He had been on patrol with his sergeant when a bomb dropped, the sergeant was killed standing next to him.As the war went on people became blase about bombing, people got on with their lives.There were shortages in the shops and the constant refrain when asked for anything was "don't you know there's a war on!".I was a Boy Scout when Iwas elevenand that eventually became War Scouts,trained in First Aid and how to run messages. I remember once in 1944 when the buzz bombs were coming over, three of us on bikes tried to follow one to see where it would land. When it did it blew up a load of chickens, Brookman Park I think.The nearest I came to being a casualty was when Ihad been to tea at my Grandmother's at Wood Green. I was walking back up Gladstone Avenue facing the the shops in the High Streeton the opposite side of the road.Isaw the windows bow outwards, then the glass shattered. A V2 bomb had landed preety near.I was shielded by the street shelter in Gladstone Av. Idon't remember much after that except for bits in my hair, but I got home.Later that evening Ibegan shaking, delayed shock I suppose.During metriculation in 1944we had to sit our exams in the shelter in the basement of the school incase there was a raid during the the exam. I remember there was a particularly fierce raid when I was sitting my French and I'msure because of it the invigilators made a note of how bad it was so the markers took that into account and helped get me through.

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