大象传媒

I was six years old in 1943 and staying with my grandad and grandma at their farm, Rectory Farm, Upper Stondon in Bedfordshire.
It was Sunday evening about 6.30 in the summer of 1943. Grandad and I were sitting outside the barn and grandad was cleaning his shotgun. Grandma had gone to Evensong. I heard an aeroplane approaching and saw that it was a German Dornier bomber flying at treetop height and heading directly for us.
"Grandad, it's a Dornier" I shouted.
Grandad hastily loaded two cartridges into his 12 bore and fired both barrels at the enemy plane as it roared above us; so close that we could see the pilot. Grandad waved his shotgun and shook his fist and shouted some colourful language, including "Filthy Boche".
I was extremely excited and eagerly told Grandma all about it when she returned from church; including what Grandad shouted at the Germans. Grandad was promptly told off for teaching me bad language.

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Wendy Adams and has been added to the website on behalf of John Gilder and he fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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