大象传媒

Note: This story has been entered by a volunteer on behalf of Delphine Higgs. The author has seen and agreed to the People's War House Rules.

Rumours abounded and it was difficult to know the truth, this had happened, that place had been hit, so many dead

At that time I expect everyone in Bristol had heard of The Corkscrew Bomb. Once again the largest gasometer in the West of England, in Folly Lane, was the target. The roads had been cordoned off for days, was it an unexploded bomb? No-one was telling as 鈥淐areless Talk Cost Lives鈥�. Several days passed and at school girls from as far away as Horfield and Downend, on the outskirts, had heard about it 鈥� rumours travelled fast.

I knew the bomb had landed almost on the corner of Days Road and Folly Lane, the Bomb Disposal Squad were there carefully digging away. 鈥� it was certainly taking much longer than usual. It seemed they were digging a trench across the pavement from the edge of the road which went under the stone wall to the very edge of the gasometer. Apprehension!

The rumour was that The Corkscrew Bomb was a very clever invention of the Germans and that it was twisting it鈥檚 way towards it鈥檚 target. Everyone seemed to be talking about it. What would happen! At that time advertisements warned us to 鈥淜eep Mum鈥�, say nothing, you might be talking to a German spy. It seems incredible now.

We waited and eventually the Bomb Disposal Squad were finished and packing up their equipment. Like many of our curious neighbours, I went up Folly Lane with my Dad, Ted Rowden, to find out the truth. We could see that a very large bomb had fallen there, thrust it鈥檚 way through a mass of electric cables, pipes and suchlike at the edge of Days Road and in forcing the cables apart had thankfully become defused. From there it had been deflected and slithered off, making it鈥檚 own tunnel and slightly disturbing the earth to the very edge of the target. Of course the Bomb Disposal Squad didn鈥檛 know that the bomb had defused itself upon entry and a huge explosion was always imminent, it had been a very tricky job... .and another Very Lucky Escape!

Delphine Higgs, nee Rowden

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.