大象传媒

During the summer of 1943 I can remember one night when the air raid scirens went off. My Dad, Jim, was working as a sergeant in the home guard so my mother , Olive, and me went downstairs to take shelter. She realised the blankets had been left upstairs so put me on the front room table [I was 7 yrs old] and went back to retrieve them. A few moments later a large explosion blew me off the table and into the fireplace, still smouldering away! She came downstairs to find me all blackened with a few singe marks to my arm.

It turned out that a land mine, dropped from a German bomber, had got caught up in some telegraph wires near the Smethwick town hall. We lived about 500yrds from it. We found out next morning that it just went off at that moment my Mum had gone back upstairs. Luckily we weren't hurt although my arm went sceptic which mean't a trip to Ladywood Childrens Hospital.

I can't remember a great deal, it was 60 years ago and I was 7 but I can close my eyes and remember the bang.

Clive Tarbet

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.