大象传媒

I remember when the war broke out 鈥� I remember like it was yesterday. It was on a Sunday and a siren started to go, 鈥淕et off the streets鈥�. We had to get off the streets, get anywhere where it was safe 鈥� down a cellar we鈥檇 go.

If you saw a cellar lid you could lift up and get in, you鈥檇 do it. You really were looking for safety. They鈥檇 ring the sirens every time a plane went over to bomb. I remember seeing the planes flying over. You鈥檇 look up from in the cellar and perhaps see the tail end of the plane zooming over. It was very frightening. It made me feel a bit better that there was a group of people in the cellar, but I was still frightened.

I remember planes going over and suddenly the sirens would go and that was bad. You鈥檇 have to scoot into a shelter and huddle down in there, until the all-clear went, then they鈥檇 let you out.

You had to be careful. I remember going in the cellar at home, and you had to go like that [cowering] in the cellar when the bombs were coming. It was very loud in there and very frightening. There were quite a few people when we went in the shelters, but you had to huddle down wherever you could. It was pretty grim. Still, we got through it.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mary Woolley and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See also more of Mary's stories:

• 'You have to go, that's that'
• Fully Fashioned
• Just desserts
• 'By the left and off you go'
• Big cakes

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