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This story was submitted to the People’s War Site by Three Counties Action, on behalf of Mary Beer, and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

When I was 16 I was living with my father in Ladbroke Grove — West London and during the height of the London Blitz I had to lseep in the corridor — as being the safest place. One night a bomb fell in our back garden but luckily for us the blast blew away from us and although our house was damaged it knocked down the house at the bottom of our garden. We were made to leave our house in the middle of the night and I can remember being very frightened and searching to find some clothes to wear and being most upset because I couldn’t find my shoes. After that I was evacuated to an Aunt in Clevedon — a very scary night.

I joined the WAAF as soon as I was allowed — at 17 ½ and after several months of RADAR training at Durrington near Worthing — I was transferred to the Radar station on top of the hills at Ventnor I.O.W. I can remember lying in bed one night and watching the doodle bug bombs flying right through two of the radar masts — only just missing one. The doodle bugs would fly over us regularly at night on their way to the south coast and Midlands. I’m glad to say the radar station was never hit.

When I was living in London — Ladbroke Grove again. I was working at Unilever House in the City during the London bombings. Having to walk part of the way to work along Fleet Street, I can remember having to pick my way over masses of firemen’s hoses and dodging the rubble of newly bombed buildings. The smell of burning and the dust and debris was truly dreadful. At work we had to take turns on fire duty looking for incendiary bombs, which meant we had to stand on the roof. I did not feel too happy about it, as I do not much like heights. Luckily no incendiaries fell when I was on duty!

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