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I lived in Dymchurch as a child during the war. My father was serving in Italy. Dymchurch was a restricted area with all the local bridges blown up, so anytime you wanted to get anywhere you had to go the long way round. I also remember all the pill boxes and how some of the corner houses in the town had been made into pill boxes. We had a Morrison shelter in our lounge, it was made of strong netting and all the family used to get into it. When I was 5 my friend next door who was 7 got hold of an old petrol tank and adapted it into a boat. The two of us sailed all round Romney Marshes in that boat. I remember the first time that I saw fireworks on VE night — it was a wonderful experience.

(This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from Wyre Forest Volunteer Bureau on behalf of Lionel Weston and has been added to this site with his permission. Lionel Weston fully understands the site's terms and conditions.)

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