大象传媒

Although I was born in Southampton, my family moved to Chandlersford in 1938, when I was 3. My father, a resourceful man, had retired in his 50s from being a Cable & Wireless engineer invariably working abroad. He was certain well before 09/39 that war was coming, and volunteered to return to his line of work in Malta. Prior to leaving, he built a shelter in our Cford garden out of railway rails and sleepers, and kitted it out with provisions and a wind-up gramophone with loads of 78s. Once air-raids started, my mother, sister and I spent every night in there, sleeping on a horse-hair mattress that seemed full of prickles and smelt damp, like mushrooms.

We certainly felt safe in our shelter; just how safe was vividly brought home to me one afternoon in the school summer holiday of what was probably 1941, when all I had over my head between me and the enemy was a road-sign! I was going towards home on my scooter at crossroads on Park Road in Cford when I suddenly heard, then saw, a German fighter plane rushing towards me down Valley Road, with guns firing from both wings. It was so low, just above the trees, and I could see the pilot in the cockpit. I had no idea what to do, but a lady crouching under the Merdon Avenue road sign shouted to me to join her. The plane banked sharply to go down Park Road, the lady rushed off - and I scooted home, 5 minutes away, as fast as I could.

My mother was very worried, as she and my sister had also seen and heard the plane, and had gone under the dining-table. There had been no siren, so the plane must have been off-course, its targets probably being Eastleigh or Southampton, the latter only 7 miles away.If there had been an air-raid warning, no guesses about where we would all have been sheltering, but I did not feel in fear of my life at the time - it's only when I look back that I think what might have been.

(These are Diana's experiences, submitted by John Page).

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