大象传媒

On the night of the 7th/8thMay 1941, our house received a direct hit with a landmine. This took place about 11pm, but we had already had windows blown out and incendiary (fire) bombs dropped in the road outside. At the time, my brother Ken and I were outside our house, in Home Guard uniforms. I was 17 yrs old and Ken was 18 yrs old, having just returned from Home Guard Training.
Our house was situated at the entrance to King George Dock (main gate entrance) and opposite was an office building where two railway policemen were on duty. These two men were helping us dispose of the incendiaries, when the land mine conveyed by parachute came floating along and caught on a Poplar tree adjacent to our house. One policeman thought it was part of a plane, but my brother shouted, 鈥淩UN! It鈥檚 a Landmine!鈥� We ran in to our house, but the policemen would not have reached their office when the mine exploded.
My brother Ken was in front of me and was killed. In the house were my Father, (who was a Dock Master), my Mother and two sisters, Muriel and Winifred, Muriel was killed. Mother and Father were okay because they were in the cupboard under the stairs and this was the only part of the house left standing.
I saw a yellow flash and then came what I thought was a waterfall, but I was sliding slowly down the rubble on to the road. I remember spotting a bit of fire still alight in the Police office fireplace. Assisted by my Father I was able to lie near this fireplace, waiting for an ambulance. When one finally arrived, it was full, but had a trailer attached, in which my sister Winifred and I were placed.
Then followed the horrendous journey, we were bumped over hose pipes and being subjected to terrific heat as we passed burning buildings. We were admitted to the Children鈥檚 Hospital in Park Street as there was no room at any of the other hospitals we called at.
My sister had a large hole in her calf, but fortunately her stocking had plugged the wound. I had holes in my face and a broken elbow. After experiencing the following night鈥檚 blitz and receiving treatment, we were transferred to Driffield Hospital. I being in uniform, finished up in Pinderfield鈥檚 Military Hospital, among survivors from Dunkirk. I was discharged in October 1941

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