大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Eileen Harris with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

I was seven, it was a beautiful hot day, we were coming out of school, my house was only a few yards away and I was walking with my best friend. I looked up into the sky and saw an aeroplane with a black cross on it 鈥� she said 鈥渋s that a German?鈥� I said to her 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, I think the war has started because my Dad鈥檚 gone鈥�. She wanted to play Doctors and Nurses, I didn鈥檛, I said 鈥淚 don鈥檛 want to, I鈥檒l see you after tea鈥�. She went into her house and waved.
I went in our front room, my Mum asked me what I鈥檇 like for my tea, then we were blown right across the room. I remember kneeling down and taking glass out of mothers head. It had turned her hair white with dust. I remember all the curtains were flapping 鈥� the doors and windows were blown out.
I remember the noises. Mother was shaking, we looked across the road and all the houses had been flattened. They were after Vauxhall motors which were producing tanks (we found out after) they missed and hit our houses.
Her name was Sheila, she was blown to pieces and I never saw her again, my mother said 鈥渟he鈥檚 gone to Jesus鈥�.
It was in 1939 or 1940 鈥� early in the war.
I went back to school, her desk was in front of me 鈥� mother said to be brave, I kept expecting that she鈥檇 walk in.

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