大象传媒

"TWO nights of terror" described the blitz,

The first raid made an aunt, cousin and their two children homeless. They had lived in Belville Street. When they arrived at our home in Katrine Road my parents made them welcome. When the sirens sounded the second night, we were so anxious to help dress the children that we didn鈥檛 have time to dress properly. I had on pyjamas with old socks and my 'wellies', coat and woolly bonnet Mother, my eldest sister, aunt, cousin, children and myself made our way from the top flat to the ground floor. My aunt decided she couldn鈥檛 stay indoors and made her way to the railway tunnel nearby, with her daughter and children. Dad was outside helping to deal with incendiaries. The shelters for our road were just half made, so we were grateful to our neighbours for shelter. I don't know how many people were crowded into the long hallway but it was a fair number. The noise of the explosions and gunfire was terrifying. Then our turn came. I don't remember hearing an explosion 鈥� just a dreadful blast force, and then the falling bricks. We were buried in the debris, being near the door perhaps I wasn't covered with so much for I was able to get to my feet and I think, I started screaming as all I could see was piles of rubble. The next thing I remember seeing was a huge man at the entrance to the flat where the door had been. He seemed to be shouting at me with his hand up, raised as if to strike me. But I couldn't hear. I then realised he had come to help us.

Others arrived and began searching the rubble to release the trapped. A young child was handed to me to hold as the child's sister who had been carrying the little one had been killed. Others soon began to be freed. My eldest sister seemed be to be pinned down with a huge window block across her legs. Fortunately it was prevented from doing any serious damage owing to the smaller rubble surrounding her Mother was last to be released and she too escaped serious injury, though the blast had blown her into the bathroom doorway. It was later found that mother had a five-inch splinter piercing her lower leg. Father couldn't be found anywhere but we were guided to the rest centre where it was hoped we would find him. However, although we searched among the groups of people there, and even amongst the victims in the temporary mortuary, there was no sign of father. When things seemed quieter my sister and I went back to Katrine Road to see if there was anything we cold do., It was there we found father standing in a daze before the ruins, with blood and tears streaming down his face. We helped him back to the centre where the First Aid team immediately grabbed him, for he had escaped from them earlier. That was the last we saw of Dad for over a week. He had been taken to a local hospital, but when we inquired he had been transferred somewhere, but where?? This remained the question for five or six days until we were informed he was at Carluke Hospital, with a fractured skull and both ears severely damaged. We later learned that Dad had been outside when he saw the landmine coming down. He ran into the close and was rescued from there by the First Aid volunteers. As news traveled to friends of our plight we were invited by another sister鈥檚 employer to stay at her home in Brisbane Street. Soon we were able to leave the centre and were encouraged to do so, as a number of unexploded bombs were in the area. We made our way slowly towards Brisbane Street and as I walked in front of mother her sense of humour came to the surface. Apparently the cry that was never far from my lips in those days was 鈥淚 have nothing decent to wear". So mother looking at me saw the dirty torn clothing etc, and that was when she, with a giggle said, "now my girl you can truly say you have nothing decent to wear.鈥� How good it was to arrive at our new abode in Brisbane Street and our hostess received us into her home with such kindness and compassion. Mother was soon helped to tidy up and put to bed for by this time her leg was very painful and swollen. The next few days are not clear, but I know my sister and I had various offices to visit to uplift clothing coupons and ration books etc. But on the first Sunday after the blitz we were able to attend the evening service in church. I鈥檓 afraid I don't remember anything of the sermon but I'll never forget the singing of Psalm 124. It gave me such a vivid picture of our experience. I couldn't stop the tears flowing and my sobbing brought tears from a number of the congregation. It was so real 鈥擡ven as a bird out of the fowler's snare Escapes away, so is our soul set free; Broke are their nets, and thus escaped we, Therefore our help is in the Lord's great name, Who heaven and earth by his great power did frame. Yes God was good to us. And I'll never forget the loving kindness that was shown by so many. It is a very humbling experience to be at the receiving end, as gifts of clothing, and so much more were gratefully received. I truly

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