大象传媒

At 6+ years old I was very aware of the war but not of the dangers. No fears, it was more like a game to me then. I had a tin hat and bow and arrow and would not hessitate to use them !
Evacuated to my Grandparents in Scarborough after the first weeks of the Blitz in London, I accepted it as a part of life, a holiday, I didn't question the move and certainly didn't need 'counseling'. It is a memory and has never effected the path of my life.
One afternoon, unbeknown to me, a sea-mine had washed up onto the South sands and injured a policeman when it blew up. I heard the explosion from about a mile away, thought it was the Germans coming and ran indoors to get my hat and bow and arrows ! Evading Grandma I rushed out and down the hill towards the beach, tin-hat on the tilt (wobbling) and ready to do battle. Grandad caught up with me and dragged me, protesting, back home by the scruff of the neck ! They had to explain to me what had happened before I gave up my duty to defend the realm !
Some time later, I can't remember exactly when, I was put to bed as usual, in the back bedroom overlooking the yard where Grandad peeled his spuds for his chip shop. With a bottle of Pop close at hand I dropped asleep. Some time later I was woken by a loud explosion. Looking out from under the bed clothes I realised that the bedroom door was laying over my bed, the ceiling with it's plaster and strips of wood was all over the place along with dust and smoke but the most obvious thing I noticed was that the small window had suddenly got much bigger, in fact, as big as the end of the room ! A Butterfly bomb had dropped into Grandads back yard and blown the rear of the house off ! Bare foot, I raced into the front bedroom, where my twin cousins were sleeping, shouting out "We've been bombed, we've been bombed". Not so much in fear as in being the one to spread the news ! They lay, eyes closed, grey, covered in dust, their Mother sat crying beside them. It didn't register on me so I jumped on them, shaking them vigorously and they woke up !!! My Auntie nearly fainted, either she was in shock or had thought they were dead. They hadn't heard a thing and more miraculously, with all the glass around, I didn't have one cut on my feet.
We were moved out by the Firebrigade and spent a while, I can't remember how long but it was days, in the cellar of the local Church. They served great porridge !! Not long after we were re-housed. That received a direct hit with a bomb while I was out but that is another story. Suffice to say my father took me back to London for a while, it was safer !!

Pop = Lemonade
Butterfly bomb = A sort of mine on a parachute (I think)

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