´óÏó´«Ã½

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Roland Gardner from Sidley I.T. Centre, and has been added to the website on my own behalf, and I fully understand the site’s terms and conditions.

A Doodlebug for Christmas.

One of the series of events that made sufficient impression on my three-year-old mind to carry into adulthood was the ‘doodlebug summer,’ of 1944. I was absolutely fascinated by these sinister carriers of death and destruction, and well remember my mother calling me out into the garden to see another one pass over on its way to London. Looking back, she must have possessed a serene sense of immunity during this dangerous time, and I think she was quite right not to insist on us diving under the kitchen table until the menace had passed.

Such was my fascination with the doodlebugs that on Christmas Day of 1944, Barbara, my eldest sister, presented me with my very own doodlebug. In those times of desperate shortages, she had shown immense resourcefulness and ingenuity in finding a wooden model aeroplane, which she re-modelled and painted in dark grey, complete with swastika on the rudder. I was completely captivated by this gift, and would not even consider playing with anything else for weeks.

Just two or three years ago, on Barbara’s birthday, I planned to phone her, since she lived too far away to visit. Having been discussing the ‘doodlebug Christmas’ with Sally, my wife, she suggested, quite rightly that I remind Barbara of how her present, all these years later, still ranked as my most favourite Christmas present of all time. As I still regarded Barbara with huge affection for all her kindnesses to me over the years, I looked forward with great anticipation to rekindling all those good feelings of sixty years ago. I couldn’t believe it, but she had no recollection of the incident whatsoever!
So much for my indelible memories.

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