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This story was submitted to the peoples war site by Peter Nicholas of Link into Learning, Cornwall County Council, it was recorded by Age Concern and Link into Learning, Bodmin, Cornwall, on behalf of Ms Irene Snell and has been added to the site with her permission. Ms Irene Snell fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My War encounters by Ms Irene Snell of Bodmin, Cornwall
I was living very near to the Royal Navy Dockyard when World War 2 broke out but worked on Mutley Plain in a shop with a cellar, which we went to when the sirens went off.
One day a bomb dropped in the lane behind the shop and we were covered in dust and wood. I was more afraid of the mice than anything else. The wardens got us out and with a cup of tea we felt better. They then started to close the shop early so I could get home. I managed to get a bus. Halfway home bombs started dropping. The driver stopped the bus, he would not go on. I walked the rest of the way. Nearer to my home my Dad was looking for me and we went right into the shelter. It was a very heavy raid that night.
One Sunday, after chapel, I saw Bill with his friend Jack and Jack told me many years after that Bill said to him "I'm going to marry that girl".
Bill came in the shop one day and asked if he could walk me home. I said 'yes'. That was the beginning of a wonderful life together.
We were both sent away to different parts of the country. I was in Salisbury making Spitfires. We kept in touch. I was home one week on leave when a heavy raid lasted what seemed like hours. We heard a bomb land but did not go off right away. When it did the ground shook and left a very large crater between us and the house. The wardens shouted across to see if I was alright. Who was he? Bill, of course. That was when I knew what a kind man he was.
Our house was very badly damaged. A friend of ours had left her key with us in case we needed somewhere to go. We stayed a while then my sister found rooms in Liskeard, we were lucky. We got a taxi down and what we saw of the way I shall never forget. Mothers pushing prams and people sleeping by the wayside.
My Dad worked in the dockyard and went to and fro every day. When the raids eased up a bit we found another house in Plymouth.
Bill and I got married in 1943.1 had found a flat, so when he managed to get home we had "our" place to go.
So many memories!! Like going to the gashouse to get coke with an old pram. There was no coal about. We had a range for cooking and Dad put certificates, etc in it for safety, then when the gas supply was cut off. Mum lit the range and did not take the papers out. My birth certificate has the burn marks on it to this day.
If you saw a queue you joined it. When the last all clear came we went on The Hoe, like thousands more, and prayed to God and gave thanks. We had come through it.

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