大象传媒

In May 1941 I was 4yrs old and can remember the nights of bombing very clearly.At the sound of the siren I was taken downstairs with my brother complete with siren suit and Mickey Mouse gasmask.For some reason my parents thought our under stairs store was just as safe as the street shelter!Our cat would jump in the dolly tub under the kitchen table when he heard the siren.Dad would sometimes be with us and sometimes he would be on Home Guard duty.I can remember the noise of the flying bombs-when the noise stopped you waited for the explosion-if you heard it you were lucky.On some nights we would be ordered out of the house into the street shelter.After a bad night my aunties would send a cousin down to Bootle from Everton-on foot,to check if we were O.K-we did not have a phone or our own transport back then!After a night of bombing houses would be missing from terraces in many streets.Now as a parent and grand parent, I realise it must have been a living hell for my parents-and many others trying to be brave for us and keeping us safe.I have heard stories of Dad not heeding warnings to take shelter if a raid started when he was on his way home from his work on the docks-he would run dodging whatever he had to in order to come home to his family.My memories also include coming home from school and meeting other children shouting "The war is over"Mam was waiting for us to confirm the news. Some time later the was a street party to celebrate.

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