大象传媒

I had been returned to London from Paignton where many airmen (at the time potential Aircrew) had been sent to get them out of London at the height of the Doodlebugs (V 1's) We were a maintenance party assigned to the task of cleaning all the flats previously occupied by Aircrew recruits at the St John's Aircrew receiving Centre - known as Arcy Tarcy, this including Lord's Cricket Ground. Our Mess was a building at Regent's Park Zoo. Returning to the cleaning Task after dinner the Air Raid Warning Siren went and before long there was the all too familiar sound of a Doodlebug - as familiar as that of the Merlin engine of a Spitfire. We had been told that if in the open and unable to reach shelter to lie on the ground and raise our chest off the ground with our hands. There was never time to seek shelter when a Doodlebug could be heard for the engine could cut out at any time and it would glide to earth. I did as told lying in the road and being aware of a taxi some distance away. Within seconds there was a huge explosion - the ground shook violently and I felt the blast thump me on the back. I knew I was OK so got to my feet to see if there was any dust or smoke from where it had landed. There was none that I recall only a really pungent smell of crushed leave. The Doodlebug had in fact fallen on the embankment of the Grand Union Canal which was covered in trees. The blast had stripped the surrounding trees of their foliage and really mashed them up. The smell lingered with me for a long time and I never expected to experience it again but I did. On the night of the great storm in October 1987, the very strong winds had had a similar effect and when I was walking in an area of many trees that pungent smell was there to remind me of my lucky escape some forty plus years earlier.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.