大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by CSV volunteer Doreen Bennett on behalf of Malcolm James, the author and has been added to the site with his permission. The author understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

A Personal View of WW2

My experience of the War Years when I was aged 7-13 years.

Although my family lived in Cadgwith in Cornwall, due to my father being in the Navy, (he was also in WW1 including the Battle of Jutland), when he came back to his base at Devonport we would often go to Plymouth. It was whilst living near Mutley Plain that Hyde Park School was badly damaged by bombing. Also Peverell Methodist Church and Plymouth Cricket Pavilion were pressed into use as schools.

Two recollections of when we lived in Trematon Terrace near Mutley Plain spring to mind. My brother Leslie and I, accompanied by my cousin Maisie who was visiting us and serving in the Wrens, caught a bus to Devonport to see a film at the Forum. After the pictures my brother decided that we would walk home as it was a moonlight night. We had just reached a fish and chip shop near North Road Station when a bombing raid started. The shop owner ushered all eight customers into his living quarters and suggested that if the bombs got too close we should get under his dining table!!

When the all clear sounded we wandered off home to find Mum not in a good humour having sat in a neighbour鈥檚 Anderson shelter during the raid worrying about us. Incidentally we had a Morrison shelter indoors which served as a dining table.

The second occasion was when we had four bombs which dropped very close on all four corners which blew the gate off from the back yard into the lane. After the all clear sounded Leslie and I went out to Mutley Plain where Boots the Chemist had suffered a direct hit and was well alight. All the chemicals and bottles were exploding making quite a sight. Maisie and I quite often remember the chip shop incident.

Sadly Leslie was killed in a motor accident in 2004 aged 75.

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