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I was four years old when my Father had to move to Manchester to undertake work in support of the war effort. He was an expert in laminated timber used in the construction of aeroplane propellers and the structural frames for mosquitos and gliders. We therefore moved as a family to live in Urmston, Manchester. I remember several air raids — one of my earliest memories was playing in the street on my tricycle when the sirens went off and being very annoyed when my mother would not let me stay outside to watch the aeroplanes. I also remember seeing the large grey barrage balloons and hearing the AK-AK guns (which were located in a field at the end of the road where we lived) firing.

When the sirens went at night, as they frequently did, we left our beds, dressed in ‘siren suits’ a one piece zipped up suit over our pyjamas and slept under a metal shelter beneath the table. One particular night the Air Raid wardens called at the house and would not let anyone stay inside and we all had to go to the air-raid shelter at the end of the road. I recall many loud explosions accompanied by blasts of air passing through the shelter. We sat on wooden benches on each side and were covered by a tarpaulin sheet, which was a very frightening experience for a five year old! After the ‘all clear’ was sounded we were allowed back into our own house and I can remember my father nailing timber boards up at the windows, which had been broken by the bomb blasts. We spent the rest of the night sleeping on made up beds on the ground floor.
Next morning while we were sat at the kitchen table eating breakfast our next door neighbour dashed into the house and said we had to get out quickly because we had a time bomb in our back garden. My response was to go and see what it looked like and I was most disappointed that I was not allowed to do so! I remember my parents hastily packing bags and we left in a taxi for the railway station with the intention of travelling back to our home in the Northeast. This was either Christmas Eve or the day before and my major concern was that Father Christmas might not know were to find us.

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