大象传媒

At the age of eleven I remember living in a block of a high rise flat in Hendon, where my father, who was a member of the Army Physical Training Corps, had been posted as an instructor to the Hendon Police College.

I went to William Ellis Grammar School and had to travel by tube to get there, setting out with my gas mask strapped to my shoulder criss-crossed with my school satchel on the other!

In the evenings we would draw back the curtains, with all the lights out so that the air raid warden didn't catch us, and watch as the Luftwaffe came screaming down the Thames, unleashing their deadly cargo of bombs onto and around London Docks.

The ack-ack batteries would keep up a frenzied and constant fire and often the German planes would be highlighted by the powerful searchlights which criss-crossed the sky.

It was a very exciting time for a young boy and, in the morning, my brother and I would scour the streets to search for shrapnel and other war debris. I had the best shrapnel collection in our street!

Later on, when my father was posted to the Middle East, we had to return to Aldershot.
I remember one particular day, when the 'big push' was on, a truckload of departing soldiers stopped by a group of us and off-loaded all their sports equipment. Cricket bats, and stumps, footballs etc etc., were handed out, as they gave us a cheery chorus of "Goodbye we'll be back soon!"

Aldershot became full of Canadian and American soldiers and we used to get 'pitching' practice when they got out their baseball bats. They couldn't understand why we were good at pitching, as they'd never seen cricket played before, or seen a fast and low return to the wicketkeeper!

In the garrison cinema one evening a message was flashed on the screen saying that Japan had surrendered unconditionally, following the unleashing of an atomic bomb on Hiroshima.

The cinema erupted and people were shouting and embracing each other in very rapturous mood.

Later on I witnessed an incredible sight when the sky became black black with planes and gliders, as a vast aerial armada made its' way to retake Europe fron the Nazi horde.

Shortly afterwards my mother took us to stay with our grandparents at Dover in Kent.

I went to Dover Grammar School, the school on the hill. We would often explore near the grounds of Dover Castle and the sound of dog fights and gun fire became commonplace.

Very often the doodlebugs would drone over us and we would stare up, wondering whether they would continue to London, or whether the rocket engine would cut out and plunge down to our piece of the earth!

Then finally the joyous return of our armed forces and my dad returning unharmed after such a long time away.

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