大象传媒

I was born in September 1938 in Ilfracombe but we soon moved to Oaklands, Babbacombe Road, Torquay, opposite the Palace Hotel which was then an RAF Officers Convalescent Home with a red cross painted on the roof.
My brother, who is 6 years older than me, was at Winchester Lodge School in Torquay and one day, on the playing fields, the young boys were attacked by a German aeroplane and had to rush to a ditch. Following that they were evacuated to Blackmoor Gate in North Devon.

We did not escape in Oaklands as we were attacked and bombed out twice in 3 months, not even having time to reach our air raid shelter. The guns came from the front (the side of the Palace Hotel) and we only had time to hide under the solid wood kitchen table at the back of he house. The Palace Hotel suffered from hit and run raids. Apparently I used to stand at the bus stop with my gas mask and tell everyone my name and that we had been bombed out twice in 3 months!!

My father, meanwhile, was in oil tankers on Atlantic and Russian convoys (having also been in WW1 in destroyers) and when he was torpedoed he could not get in touch with us and we had no idea what had happened to him. In fact, his ship was towed into Falmouth, nearly sinking, for repairs and we went in a flat there whilst this happened. I am sure I remember American voices and going on board a small American ship (landing craft?).

When the Regent Lion was repaired we returned to Torquay and I certainly remember the street party in Ilsham Wellswood where we then lived.
We were obviously very lucky to survive the war - my father, Captain V A R Jury, OBE, survived to the age of 70 but never mentioned either war. He spent 9 years of his life fighting for us all.

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