大象传媒

I was 14 years old when war was declared in 1939 and had no idea of what was involved. Life seemed to go on much the same - school continued. On one or two occasions we had to sit with gas masks on, that were awful, it smelt of rubber and I felt choked. There was of course rationing but mothers seemed to make a little go a long way!

There were air raid alarms some evenings, which perhaps only lasted an hour. Down to the shelter with thermos flask etc. Then of course came the night of 14th November. Down to the shelter I went but thinking it would only be an hour, no previsions were taken! My father and the other neighbours had dug a big trench on the end of which ran at the back of our houses; it was designed on the lines of trenches used in the First world war - lined with corrugated sheeting with a entrance one end and emergency exit at the other. There was seating there was about 8 adults and 5 children, plus my uncle鈥檚 dog, which we were looking after and the next doors cat! Then the bombing started in earnest - we could heat it, and there was machine gun fire on the school, which was in Banks Road.

In the early hours of the morning the A.R.P warden came to see we were ok and say that most of our houses had been damaged as a land mine had landed at the corner caught on a gable and two ARP men had tried to get it down but it exploded, killing them. There were about6 people killed as well (still in their houses). Eventually as daylight came, we emerged to see the damage. What a sight- out house was the last to be severely damaged; the force seemed to have tailed off then. Our budgie was still under the stairs, swearing like a trooper! My parents decided we should make our way into the city centre and see if we could get to Leamington to get a train to Braunston village where my grand parents lived. I shall always remember the scene when we eventually got down to the city, complete devastation and fires smouldering, people walking about in a daze. Eventually we got a lift on the Kenilworth Road to Leamington and managed to get a cup of tea and toast at a caf茅. We were tired and untidy, not having been able to wash etc but people were very kind.

We managed to get a train out we arrived at Braunston and of course they (my grandparents) had no idea what had happened although they had seen flashes etc. My mother and I stayed there for the war years; my father was sent up to the Lake District to work and I worked in Rugby.

After the war the houses were rebuilt and we came back to live where I have been ever since. It was quite an experience. However there were some light times and people all helped each other.

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