大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Philip Stearn of the Derby Action Desk Team on behalf of D E Smith and has been added to the site with his permission . The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was born in 1936. My Dad made an Air Raid Shelter in the garden, where we went along with the neighbours. We lived in Burton and on a clear day we could see the Barrage Balloons over Derby. When the air warning went off, my Dad would watch the planes go over and say "there's ours" or " Someones getting it tonight" . This annoyed my mum who called him into the air raid sheler saying that a German Pilot might see him and bomb us.

My uncles listened to Lord HawHaw out of earshot of their mum ( my Gramdma ) as she didn't approve.

On visits to see my Grandmother at Spondon, I can remember seeing search lights and guns at the side of the road. Also along the Derby ByPass - Raynesway there were lots of military vehicles parked.

I used to fish in the canal at Spondon near the Moon Pub. Sometime during the War Grandma had a Policeman staying with her , named Rainer, who later became the Mayor of Southport.

When the Dump went up I was at school , some windows broke and the desks moved across the room. My Dad was in the Army then and was given compassionate leve as he was told Burton " had gone".

I enjoyed looking at shot down planes in the " White Elephant" , Burton Market Place. Also a British Plane crashed on a friend's farm at Honbury. I was given some "glass" to make a ring out of , no doubt actually perspex.

V.E Day saw party for all in our Street not just kids. adults as well.

The Yanks ( Americans ) who were at the Scotch Foundry in Anglesey Road came and gave kids a ride on their Jeeps. If you were really lucky you got some chewing gum. Us Kids didn't know what sweets were.

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