大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Graham Bell and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was 9 when the war started. I was at my cousins when I heard it on the radio. I had to get home quickly as I was worried about what might happen on the mile walk back home!The raids started in 1940 and we received our own kit form of air raid shelter with a spanner included!Dad and I put it up.There were bunks put into it. There were bombs falling within 4 miles and the mroning after I went to collect some war souvenirs.
My father was in the local police and my sister worked for the Min.of Food at King's Hall in Stoke and my brother was in the Home Guard.
I had a brother-in-law at Dunkirk who was rescued and torpedoed twice and two other brothers who also survived.
I saw aircraft in the skyhighlighted against the moon,they flew low,American flying fortresses,I only saw one german plane,it was brought down near Crewe.
School got delayed as we built the air raid shelters and we marched into them when neccessary.Teachers carried the shelter lamps and we sang songs including "Roll out the barrel"
There weren't many raids in daytime here.
After D-Day my neighbour Mrs Potter ran out into the street shouting that her son had been killed at Caen,this was a very clear memory.
I was 14 then.
There was an auxiliary fire station near home and I went to look around and ran errands for the firemen.I joined the RAFand had my first training flight during the war in ATC as 15 yrs old.
I worked for Wm Bolotn,manufacturing tank parts 48 hrs /per wk. for 14s0d. I went to night school to learn Maths/Science/Drawing. at Wedgwood Inst -now Burslem library.
There was a Thanksgiving pageant in Queen's hall with local volunteer services parading as like Remembrance Day Service in Albert Hall.
Parkers Brewery Band played, bonfires and fireworks were lit at a street party provided by Robinsons Newspaper Transport.
Graham Bell---Burslem,High Lane---Stoke-on-Trent

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