大象传媒

A Caulkheads War Part 2

Early in 1942 as part of the government policy of dispersing centers of manufacture the sheet metal workshop of Saunders Roe was moved to Osborn where it occupied premises which were once hospital wards and offices serving cadets from the royal naval college.
One fine summer day while passing between workshops I happened to look into the clear sky above and there above were the silvery specks of American bombers wheeling and turning as they formed into their battle groups before crossing to France. It must have been one of their first war missions.
On a Thursday in February 1943 I happened to be in Ryde. I had barely reached the Commodore cinema when Ryde received a low level hit and run air attack. Once again I heard the explosions of nearby bombs and the rattle of machinegun and cannon fire as the planes sped away above the rooftops. Over the rooftops I could see that clouds of brickdust were rising from an area in the direction of my home in Argyll Street so I ran in that direction. As I passed along the High Street I saw that a lot of shop windows had been blown out and many goods were strewn across the Street. When I reached All Saints church I could see that a bomb had destroyed a house on the junction of Arthur and West Streets.
Rescue services were already digging for survivors and I saw them bring out a middle aged woman. She was fully conscious and shouting "Rule Brittania". A little later they brought out her 19 year old son but sadly he was dead. I then went home, changed in to my ATC uniform and returned to the scene, where I offered my services to the rescue team. They sent me to a church in Dover Street to collect first aid kit. A few yards from the bombed house I passed a house and noticed an elderly woman with blood coming from her mouth clutching her curtains. I decided that my mission was more important than alerting the rescuers to her condition and reasoned that there were so many people gathered at the scene that she was bound to be seen and assisted by someone, and so I continued on my way. When I returned with the required kit she was no longer to be seen. Several Royal Marine Commandos were killed by another bomb at their billet in Ashey Road.
Shortly after the raid the Marines left the district and their place was taken by units of the Canadian Army prior to their ill fated Dieppe raid. Behind a pipe and drum band and led by a massive St Bernard dog mascot the Canadians marched through the town centre on Sunday mornings where they made a magnificent spectacle. The soldiers were popular in town not least of all with the local whore who I once saw soliciting for trade in Union Street. The whore apart the soldiers were popular with local women in general and they left a legacy of more than one pregnancy. With the Ryde squadron of the ATC I made a return visit to the naval air station at Lee-on-Solent where I sat in the open rear cockpit of a Fairey Swordfish biplane and was taken for a twenty minute flight over Ryde.
At the time I was disapointed that I was not in a more modern aircraft but now I am pleased to boast that once long ago I had a flight in a famous 'Stringbag'.

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