大象传媒

In September 1939 war was declared with Germany, I was seven years old.
For me and the boys and girls of my age, the war was an adventure. We did not think that any of us would be killed or injured, but sadly many were in towns and cities all over the country.
I lived in Swansea which was an important sea port, where ships docked after crossing the Atlantic, running the gauntlet of German submarines to bring food and supplies from Canada and America.
There were no lights allowed at night and everywhere was in complete darkness.If a chink of light was visible through one's curtains, an air raid warden would knock on the door and tell you to 'put out that light!'
Food, clothes and sweets were rationed and everyone was issued with a ration book and an identity card which had your number on it. My number was XIRR-406-5. One important item everyone carried at all times was a gas mask. This you took everywhere - to school, out playing with your friends and when shopping with your parents.
The days following an air raid - which usually took place at night, although there were some daylight raids - most of us would prowl the streets looking for pieces of bombs or anti-aircraft shells. These pieces were called shrapnel.
Besides dropping high explosive bombs, thousands of incendiary bombs were dropped on our towns and cities. These were small bombs intended to start fires. One such bomb was dropped on our house and started a fire in the roof space. My father and a neighbour managed to extinguish the fire using a 'stirrup pump', but they both suffered from smoke inhalation which affected them for many months afterwards.
At that time there was no television and we obtained our entertainment from the radio - or wireless as it was called then - and the cinema.
If an air raid occured whilst you were in the cinema, a warning was flashed on the screen inviting anyone who wished to leave the building to do so. Most of us stayed to see the end of the picture, but on one occasion when a particularly heavy raid was taking place, my father and sister arrived to escort me home.
It was quite a frightening experience, running through the streets with bombs dropping and shrapnel falling all around us!
To protect the population from these air raids, 'Anderson' shelters were issued to families who wished to have them. A pit about one metre deep was dug in the ground and the shelter, made from heavy corrugated steel sheets, was bolted together in this pit and covered with earth.Many families slept every night in these.
Some families were issued with indoor
'Morrison' shelters.These were heavy sheet steel, which when bolted together, formed a very substantial steel table shelter and bed for the family.
During the early part of the war, when the air raid warning sirens sounded, we were woken up and then made our way to the cupboard under the stairs until the 'all clear' was sounded.This part of the house was the strongest and many a bombed house would have its stairs still standing, with the rest of the house destroyed.
In my prowling around the streets, I was very lucky to find an intact incendiary bomb which I made safe. This, and part of a gun - probably thrown out of a damaged german aircraft to lighten it for a safe journey home - became my proud possesions.
My sister's husband was a Lieutenant Commander and was skipper of a minesweeper stationed in Swansea Docks. I had many visits to his ship, with a special pass to enter the docks. I used to sit behind the 'bofor' guns and pretend I was firing at the enemy. He captained his ship during the D-Day landings and 'swept' the Channel so that King George VI could visit the troops in Normandy.
My family consisted of two brothers in the army, one brother in the merchant navy and a brother-in-law in the Royal Navy.My father also served in the army in the First World War. All saw action in the war but all survived. We were a very fortunate family.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.