大象传媒

I was born on the 29th June 1944, at Bexleyheath in kent, opposite the trolly bus depot in Erith Rd where my father Ben, worked as an Electician,
I was believed to be the first baby ever born in an Anderson Shelter, earleir a
" doodle bug" fell on the depot opposite, and our house ( amongst the others of course,) was badly damaged, and my parents were trapped under the stairs,. they were rescued, and 8 hours later I was born. My Mother, Lilian, went to the Anderson shelter and apprently never left for 10 days. in spite of the further danger,
She was attended by a midwife, and a
" clippie" named Betty, from the depot, unknown to the family previously, she helped by looking after my older brothers, who were Dave age 7 Yrs. & Ray aged 5 Yrs,
I was born healthy, and apprently the midwife said it was the strangest birth she had ever attended,
I have no knowledge of the house now as we moved to Dartford when I was 2 Yrs old, and the houses opposite the depot are no longer standing,
My mother kept all the cuttings out of the Womans day magazine, which I now have in my possesion, as my Mother & Father are no longer alive,
I grew up very happily in Dartford along with my 2 brothers, & I met a young man when I was only 16, to whom I was married when I was 19, & in 1969 we emigrated to Tasmania Australia, and we have had 2 children of our own, and we are still very happily living here,
But we made our first visit back to England after 24 years away in June 1994, and as I turned 50 Yrs old that month, it was extreemly nostalgic meet up personally with my brothers, also the return to Bexleyheath, and the site of my birth,,
That time in 1994 we went ot Duxford, & there was an old Anderson Shelter, in front of which I had my photo taken, also had a photo taken at the old house site, with the Bus depot in the back ground,, I also remet the lady "Clippie" Betty again, which was wonderful I still know her now she is 80 now and still remembers my birthday well, and she became good friends with the family after that,
I feel extreemly grateful to my mother mainly of course, that she was brave enough to stay put, & give birth to me, and I often wonder if any other babies were born in the Anderson shelters after me,
I also am thankful of course at the Victory of the war events, and that british people could carry on living in peace, due to the sacrifices made by the brave people of all walks of life, that had no choice but to fight the war, so that the rest of us could live in peace afterwards ,
Although we emigrated, and are very happy here, I do feel a pull to the cicumstances in which I was born, & forever thankful to my dear Mum & Dad for having me, & the oppotunity to live a happy life,
I will For ever miss them both.

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