大象传媒

My name is Dorothy London and I was 8 when the war started. I always remember asking my mum 芦 what鈥檚 a war, mum ? 禄 and she said 芦 You鈥檒l soon find out 禄. When the men came back from Dunkirk the first time, my friend and I were playing near the station and we saw the soldiers coming back to the station looking dirty, wet and tired. There were some boxes of apples at the station ready to be transported to Convent Garden. So we pinched the apples and threw them to the soldiers. I felt guilty about it until I realised what the soldiers had been doing for us.

When I was a child the service bus used to go through the Manston camp to Ramsgate. Everyone had to carry their identity card and if you forgot the card you had to leave the bus and go in the guard room. I always thought these people were taken away to be shot ! I only forgot my card once and was terrified at the thought of the consequences.

We lived in Church Street Minster and the ARP Post was opposite our house. Mum said that when we heard the phone ringing, we knew there would be an air-raid.

My dad worked for the District Council during the war and one day while he was out in Seamark Close when a Messerschmitt was firing at him at low level. He kept dodging round a haystack and eventually the German pilot gave up the chase!

I have written 2 poems :

Battle of Britain 1940

A tribute to the boys in blue
Who did so much for me and you
They fought the battle of the skies
That we might live and should not die

I was just a little kid
When in the shelter safely hid
I looked up and there did see
The battle being fought for me

Day and night they gave their best
Busy life, they had no rest
No time for sleep, no time for fun
When busy shooting down the hun

Now the battle鈥檚 at an end
And pilots both sides now are friends
For those who died, for you and me
Please God a world forever free

This little tribute I now send
To those who gave until the end
You gave your life, l鈥檒l not forget
Your memory lingers with me yet

D Day 6th June 1944

60 years ago today
the longest day did dawn
the troops set out upon the sea
on a rough and misty morn

They heard the barrage of the guns
As on the shores they lept
To some it was their final hour
The others watched and wept

So brave were all the men that went
To France that fateful day
And while they fought the battle
We could only watch and pray

The nicest tribute we could give
To those gallant fighting men
Would be to cease hostilities
And never fight again

I thank them for the sacrifice
That each one made for me
And only hope that one day soon
The whole world will be free

For if it鈥檚 not and wars go on
Bringing death and pain
It seems as if this mad, mad world
Let them die in vain

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