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Name: Dr Raymond Booth
Born: 14th July 1925

Raymond Booth was a 14 year-old schoolboy when war broke out in 1939. He lived in Ilford, Essex, a commuter town on the outskirts of East London which suffered heavy damage and loss of life in the Blitz.
Raymond elected to stay at home and help his mother rather than be evacuated with other children. His father, a World War I veteran, was working away from home, his elder brothers were also away, one in the Royal Navy, the other an engineer.
Raymond attended Ilford County High School, and he and his friends watched the Battle of Britain dogfights from a nearby hill which had a view over London. On one occasion they were caught by an ARP warden who reported them to the school. Their punishment was rather unusual; they had to sit in the school hall during another raid — surrounded by large windows which still provided a good view.
Before his father went away, Raymond helped him build an air raid shelter in their back garden. They had to pay for this as their income was above £800 per year.
He remembers the blackout vividly. No light was allowed to show from any building. There were no street lights and even torches had to be shielded. This made travel very dangerous and many people were killed or injured on the roads during this time. Raymond recalled feeling his way along his road to reach the iron railings that he could recognise as his house by touch.
One of the main changes he had to everyday life was having to carry a gas mask and steel helmet at all times. The steel helmets were worn mainly to protect against falling shrapnel from anti-aircraft guns. He found out more about this when he himself became an anti-aircraft gunner, where they could only fire up to a certain angle of elevation otherwise the shrapnel would destroy their own guns.
Raymond was also in the Home Guard which he described as very like Dad’s Army. His platoon consisted of him and other friends, still schoolboys, as well as old men. During this time they took part in many mock battles in the surrounding area. Raymond recalled one such exercise where his platoon was pitted against the regulars from the Grenadier Guards. This was a fun exercise but the Home Guard, unsurprisingly, lost.
Raymond regularly took part in warning other platoon members in the event of call out in what was called Operation Snowball. When he was told ‘Operation Snowball’ by his friend he cycled to another comrade to tell him, who in turn told others. Raymond would then proceed to their meeting place. Unluckily for him he was, as one of the few young and fit members, the Lewis Gun carrier and had to carry this heavy item wherever the platoon went.

Raymond went on to volunteer for the RAF in which he served as a navigator in Bomber Command.

Name: Enid Booth nee Everitt
Born: 6th January 1928

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