´óÏó´«Ã½

I originally lived in Bethnal Green. I was evacuated and went to stay with a lady in Rogerston, Newport, Gwent, South Wales. We are still in contact (she is now 92) and go to visit even now, as we have many contacts there. Myself and my brother were there; firstly for one year, then we were sent back to London. But then the bombing got worse and we were sent to Royston, Cambridgeshire. But I got meningitis and became very ill, so was sent back to South Wales (same place, was asked back by same lady). My brother was in North Wales, and was then sent down to South Wales to join me.

I remember the bombing of Newport docks, with red lights in the sky, although I couldn’t hear it. We were living next door to Nullen Aluminium Company, an aircraft manufacturer, which the Germans were always trying to bomb but where unable to because it was so well camouflaged. Because there was always a blue haze in the valley they painted the walls blue. When German planes came over they stopped the machines so no smoke came out of the chimneys and they couldn’t really see it. I could see them flying so low we could see the pilots’ faces — we weren’t frightened, although the adults went crazy when they found we had been standing in the garden watching planes! I still feel very strong links to Wales.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.