大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War site by CSV Storygatherer Janet on behalf of Miss Adrienne Hadfield. The story has been added to the site with her permission. And Adrienne Hadfield fully understands the terms and conditions of the site. (A6020317)

I became a Civil Defence Ambulance Driver at 17 1/2 in West Cornwall. One Sunday evening the siren went and I started to walk 1 1/2 miles to HQ. A German lone raider flew over and started to machine gunned me. I threw myself against a hedge and saw red tracer bullets zooming down all around me and ricocheting up into the air, the plane went away, but before I had time to move it returned and gunned me once more, and this happened 5 times in all! When I eventually arrived at HQ it was found that I had 3 bullet holes in the rim of my tin hat! It was discovered that my rim was wider than any others - if it had not been so, I would have been killed. That was in 1942.

Later, I was sent to Plymouth to help in the blitz. I met a naval officer who invited me to attend a dinner dance at the Continental Hotel. At the last minute he said he was too tired and suggested going for a walk - not my idea of a night out!! However, the next day we were told the Continental had been hit, and two of my fellow drivers were there, one of whom was killed. My guardian angel certainly looked after me during the war and I am grateful.

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