大象传媒

The day 20th January 1943 is etched in the mind. I was employed as an Office Junior at Lewisham Town Hall Catford SE6. Staff numbers were limited and part of my job was to operate the Doll's Eye Telephone Switchboard when the telephonist was at lunch or on a break. Sitting watching the Doll's Eyes and pulling out plugs and cords to make a connection I was shaken to hear heavy thumps and know what they were - Bombs. No Air Raid Warning Siren had been sounded but I quickly received a messge from the Council's Air Raid Control Room that there was an Alert. Finishing my stint on the Board I set off home for dinner. As I walked along the bus route to home I became aware as I got nearer that I was in the area where they had fallen. Windows were broken and torn curtains were flapping in the wind - an all too familiar sight. The closer I got to home the more anxious I became as the damage to property was more severe. I was relieved to find my own home and my dear Mum were OK but I wondered who had been unlucky. On return to the Office I learned that Sandhurst Road School had been hit. There were many casualties and children and schoolteachers were still buried under the rubble. A FW190 Fighter-Bomber had released the bomb having penetrated London's defences under low cloud conditions. 38 Children and six teachers were killed. They were buried in a mass grave in Hither Green Cemetery, Verdant Lane, Catford SE6. One of my brothers 6854075 Private William George Lee was on leave at the time due to return to his Unit(B Company 10th Battalion The Essex Regiment) but typical George he had found out the School had been hit went along and being in Uniform was allowed to help in the rescue work. He didn't tell us what he had been doing - again typical George. A couple of days after the bomb fell a Policeman appeared at our home enquiring about Private Lee who had gone AWOL. By this time he was already on his way back to the Unit so all was well. George was a quiet unimposing soul. In his time in the army he went through four Infantry Regiments and I guess was moved on each time because he lacked the ability and the will to master the old LEFT/RIGHT - he was a slow ploodder. After the Essex Regiment he was moved to the Royal Pioneer Corps of which he was proud indeed. One of the things he did in the Corps was work on The Mulbery Harbour, finally looking after Italian Prisoners of War.

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