- Contributed by听
- Chuckdown
- People in story:听
- David Rihoy, Celia Rihoy
- Location of story:听
- Portsmouth
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3987020
- Contributed on:听
- 02 May 2005
I was eight when war broke out. My father insisted that nobody talk while the news was on
so I don't think it came as a surprise to him and I didn't really know what it was all about. However, the day after it was announced I came home from school for lunch and while eating we heard what sounded like bees. We went into the garden and looked up and we witnessed what was possibly the first dog-fight between fighter planes. I can still visualise them now. They were at, probably, 2 to 2.5 thgousand feet and clearly visible. I think there were about six planes with three circles of two planes going round. I'm not certain what they were but there was an RAF base at tangmere which housed hurricans and/or spitfires. We stood and watched but I don't remember how it finished; I think the German planes just scuttled off.
My sistet Celia, who is ten years older than me, told me something which she has never revealed before. She enlisted in the Royal Marines and was stationed at Eastney barracks. When a siren sounded, personnel had to descend into a bunker under the parade ground. One day the siren had gone off and she was in the shelter when the entrance received a direct hit and she and the others with her had to be dug out
The other experience she had was more scary.
We lived at the North(ern) End of portsmouth and she regularly cycled between home and the barracks. When she left Eastney to cycle home she always had to make sure she left promptly as the the gates were always closed
on time. One day the warning siren sounded just as she was making her way to the gate so she hurried and managed to leave as the gates were being closed. She turned right and as she started cycling there was a terrific exploaion behind her and the blast propelled her along the road: she never turned to see what had happened. The next day as she approached the gates she saw a scene of destruction just beyond them. If she had turned left she would not have lived to tell me, her 73 year old brother, her story.
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