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We were not short of food because we kept cattle and pigs and chickens, and a big vegetable garden. Our father snared rabbits for food. I had to watch the cows when they were grazing along the verges to make sure that they didn鈥檛 run off.

I remember German fighter planes and bombers flying over. A German fighter came down the field strafing my Father, myself, and my Mum when we were haymaking. We jumped off the rick and ran round the other side of it to be safe.

From the top of Common Hill, Medstead, we could see the bombing in Southampton (and Portsmouth) and the dog fights and the doodle bugs going over. We could hear the bombs and gunfire.

Two or three air planes crashed around Medstead and the locals stole the perspex to make things with it. Rings and brooches. Planes crashed at Hussel Lane, between Medstead and Wield, and maybe Bighton.

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I remember Incendiary bombs the size of a treacle tin and they hit one of John Lennox, one of our neighbour鈥檚 cows and burnt it. A stick of bombs landed just beside the cow shed at the bottom of Common Hill, where we lived. One set fire to Henry Nelson鈥檚 (another neighbour) house, The Dell, Homestead Road..

On VE Day we had parties. There was a party at May Wooley鈥檚 home at Goatacre, Medstead, and she had tables set out on the lawn. There was so much food left over they all went back the next evening for tea.

We went to Church from Medstead School, which was Church of England School, to celebrate the end of the war.

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