大象传媒

I was living in Epsom Downs in Surrey, just south of London. Towards the end of the war when I was 10 or 11 years old, we were under the flight path of the V1 unmanned flying bombs, sent from France to London. The V1s flew at low altitude whereas the
V2s were high altitude.Rockets passed overhead. I think that once the count-rate reached 60 in one hour. As long as the motor in the V1 kept running you were safe. If the motor cut out you dived for cover in the nearby shelter. The shelter was built underground by my father and elder brother earlier in the war. On one occasion a V1 passed overhead, followed by a fighter plan whose pilot was trying to shoot it down before it reached a built-up area. Later our next door neighbour, who had washing drying on the clothesline in her garden commented that there were bullet holes through her laundry.

My early memories of the war are mostly vignettes. I remember at the beginning of the war my family standing around an old radio set listening to Winston Churchill saying that war had been declared. I was obviously very young then - about 5 years old.

Other memories include being in the garden and watching an aerial dogfight over nearby Croydon. My impression is of 10 or 20 planes in the sky and more than one coming down, leaving a smoke trail behind - probably the Battle of Britain.

Our community was not a target for German Bombers but planes frequently released their bombs on their way to and from London. Our house didn't have a ceiling or wall left intact. This was in the days before dry walls - plaster was laid over wooden slats. Many mornings showed fresh heads of plaster lying on the floor. I slept under a large oak sideboard for protection.

As children we enjoyed going around and collection shrapnell from anti-aircraft shells and competing to see who could find the largest piece. There were also short strips of what I think was metalised paper but I don't remember what these were for, or when they were used.

As young children we were not scared and the war was exciting rather than terrifying, but I'm sure or parents concern was communicated to us. Of course many details were hidden from us but I do remember people being killed by bombs in our area. No-one in my family was killed. My brother was randomly sleected to carry out his service in the coal mines rather than in the Military. These young men were called 'Bevan Boys' after the Government minister.

At the end of the war, VE Day was celebrated by bonfires in each local neighbourhood. In contrast my memory of VJ Day, which occurred very soon after, was much more Government-organised. This is not surpirsing as for us, the European War was much more immediate than that against Japan.

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