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It was quite common for mum and dad and the rest of us to stand in our garden in Felixstowe Road Ipswich and watch the enemy planes and later the V2 bombs (Doodlebugs) come over from the direction of Felixstowe. We always knew when a raid was imminent, when the sky filled with barrage balloons and the siren whined out above all the other sounds.

One night, it must have been in about 1943/1944, when the skies were very active, searchlights were up catching the German aircraft in their crosses. We guessed the raid was going to be pretty heavy and we took refuge for the night in the Anderson shelter which mum had fitted out with mattresses, chairs, tables etc. The entrance to the shelter was closed over by a wooden door. It was quite late when we heard the bombs start to fall and we were aware that although they were probably only incendiary bombs, they were quite close. Eventually things quietened down and we ventured out to have a look. Small fires were burning around but nothing serious except in the direction of Nacton Road School, which we found out later had been hit.

The following morning we went around the garden (or Market Garden to be precise) and collected in excess of 30 small bombs. The strange thing was that we heard a hit on the door of the shelter and when we collected this shell in the morning the initials on the fin were RGS and my sisters name was Robina Grace Scarff! Thankfully it missed us — we never found out what Hitler had against her!!

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