大象传媒

Story by Gordon Cookson

My late father Alf Cook's experience and memories of Sheffield around the time of the blitz in 1940.

Dad was employed by Firth Brown down the east end of Sheffield in Attercliffe, as an overhead crane driver during the first ever air raid over Sheffield.

The air raid siren was sounded, everybody was panic stricken, all the factory lights were immediately switched off. Un fortunately they had forgotten about Dad who was left up in his crane 60 feet above the shop floor in the dark with no way to see to get down - for the duration of the air raid!
The first night of the Sheffield blitz, on Thursday 12 December 1940, Dad was on afternoon shift. He was greatly concerned about his family, his wife Vera, my eldest sister Anne who was only 2 years old and my other sister Joan who was only 10 days old.
The family lived at Woodseats so he decided to try to get home to them. This meant walking because the tram system had been partially destroyed.
He walked into the town centre to be met with a terrible scene. Trams cut in two, some on their side and buildings destroyed. While passing through Fitzalan Square he saw people taking refuge in the Marples pub. Dad declined shelter, sadly most people who went into the cellar of the pub payed with their lives when Marples received a direct hit.
He continued walking, passing through Heeley trying to find shelter every time he heard the whistle of a bomb. Years later he told me what a frightening experience it was thinking each time he heard a bomb drop it was destined for him.
Eventually he arrived home after such a nightmare journey to find Mum amd my two sisters sat in the cellar steps. Dad and Mum broke down and wept with relief and thanked God for his safe dekivererance

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