大象传媒

Wartime Experiences;

As a youngster aged 10/11 years old living in Hastings during the war I had a fairly exciting time. Early on, before my father was "called up" to join the army, I can remember one occasion when my father and I were in the back garden of our house at 15, Githa Road. Suddenly we heard the sound of approaching aircraft and two ME 109's appeared almost overhead (actually over the School buildings in Githa Road) heading south towards the sea. Simultaneously we saw two black objects fall from the planes. Realizing that these were bombs, we ran like mad for the house, yelling to my mother telling her to take cover. We just managed to reach the entrance to the cellar when there were two enormous explosions. I can still remember dust falling from the ceiling followed by the sound of breaking glass as windows at the back of the house were shattered by blast. It later transpired that the bombs has destroyed two houses in Boyne Road, about two streets away. I do not know if any casualties occurred.
Later in the war during the 鈥渄oodlebug鈥� (V1 flying bombs) period I watched these missiles flying in from the sea either pursued by fighter aircraft 鈥� often Typhoons or Mustangs trying to shoot them and or being shot at by the most tremendous anti-aircraft barrage. Frequently the V1 was hit and exploded creating a huge fireball and an explosion. One of these explosion blew out the window I was looking through but luckily I was completely unscathed as the glass fragments were deflected by half inch wire mesh that my father had installed inside each window frame. Another day my friend John Mc Connell and I were caught out in the street when we heard the unmistakable buzzing sound of an approaching doodlebug. When we looked up we could see that it was being closely followed by a fighter plane coming in our direction, which started firing it鈥檚 guns we quickly ducked down behind a garden wall until the commotion passed by. Investigating the immediate vicinity we were shocked to discover 20mm cannon shells lodged in the path and walls on the opposite side of the road to where we were sheltering. On arriving home only about 100 metres away I found that a cannon shell had gone through the roof of our house, narrowly missing my bike which was in my bedroom at the time, and was lodged in the skirting board. The police were called to remove said shell in case it was dangerous.

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