大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War site on behalf of Mr Wilson through the Rushden Historical Society. He has given his permission for his story to appear here.

The Bombing of John Cave鈥檚 Factory

I began work in the Clicking Room after Christmas 1939, just 14 years old (Birthday 26th December), 36 men were employed in the department when I started.

On the morning of October 3rd, around ten fifteen, I head two or three thumps and someone shouted, 鈥済et down鈥�. I was getting under the bench as the bomb came through the roof, although at the time I did not realise it was a bomb. Next, I remember looking up at the roof and the broken sprinkler system was pouring water. Bonny Burt worked next to me; he was injured by some of the sprinkler falling on him. I crawled under the benches to the entrance in the yard, I was going back to get my jacket but was stopped by a first aid man from another department.

I then walked home with some other people (I can鈥檛 recall who), but I do remember still holding my clicking knife as we walked up Fitzwilliam Hill. Getting home I found I could not run a comb through my hair, so I had to wash it. One of my workmates Vic Coker, called to check on me. They thought I might have copped it, as they could not find me. This was because I spent a lot of time fetching blades out on the grindstone for some of the men. The grindstone was placed where the centre of the crater was.

My sister worked in the Closing Room where another bomb fell. This did not kill any of the girls although it dropped amongst them. It was said later that it went through a bench and detonated in the brook, saving them from the blast.

Those of us who were able followed the coffins to the cemetery for the funerals of our four workmates, Frank Prickett, Arthur Sanders, John Hall and Stan Clark.

When we started work again most of the men worked in the canteen (over the bowling green), a couple in the Leather room, two in the Shoe Room and two worked from home until we were able to return to our original room. Being the youngest I spent most of my time taking tickets and leather to them on a sack barrow.

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