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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Avoiding the Bombs

by CovWarkCSVActionDesk

Contributed by听
CovWarkCSVActionDesk
People in story:听
Vear miles
Location of story:听
Hillfields Coventry
Background to story:听
Civilian
Article ID:听
A4162718
Contributed on:听
07 June 2005

Worked at the GEC, call in to see the lads, sirens would go about 6.30pm, then left with Stan. Understairs while the vombimg was on. Somethings go upstairs to watch the timberyard go up in fpames. It was very close. Came out one night, to go to Primrose Hill Park where there was a shelter, but changed minds as the firebombs were coming down. So we put sandbags on the bombs and went back to home. This was october 1940.

Leaning out the bedroom window, someone shouted what are you doing, come down to the shelter in the backgarden two doors away. Ran round and the shelter had just been putin. It was an old mattress on the floor. Next morning at 6.30am, got on bike and went to see mum and dad in Swan Lane and then went to the GEC.

Didn't go into thr shelter again, so went under the stairs, just sat there and talked.

In october 1940, we had enough of the bombing so Stan and i decided to go to Nuneaton to stay with relations. The factory in Gosford Street where I worked had a direct hit and as we were getting married in November we decided to go.

Stan and his dad cycled each day to Coventry to work. On the night of the blitz we watched the city burning and wondered what the outcome would be.I thought of my parents, were they ok?

On the next morning November 16th my wedding day, things looked grim, Stan's stepmum managed to get in touch with a couple of friends, who loaned us two cars. We got to Ansty and we found the police stopping the traffic into Coventry. We told him that we were getting married at 1pm at St Peters Parish Church in Hillfields. They said 'you'll be lucky! The city is in ruins'. They let us go as far as Gosford Street and then up Swan Lane with great difficulty, to where my parents lived. Mum & Dad were shaken but ok.

Stan and his brother walked up to Ball Hill to see if the cars were still available, yes they were. Mum was worried as we had no food for the reception only bread and cheese with tea and drink. I was getting ready when a delayed action bomb explored by the Rover Works up the road by the canal in Red Lane.

We made it to the church amid the chaos and rubble, soldiers were clearing up the churchyard and offered to carry myself and the little bridesmaids up to the church. Reverand Paul Stacey was very surprised to see us. We waited whilst he cleaned himself up and we got married. We were told that four of Stan's family had been killed in Radford. When we arrived back at swan Lane, my uncleWal who had a motor coach took us all back to Nuneaton where Stan had made an arrangment with his relatives to do a surprise meal for all of us. So the day went well after all.

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This story has been placed in the following categories.

Air Raids and Other Bombing Category
Coventry and Warwickshire Category
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