大象传媒

In 1939/40 I was 8 years old and living in Aconbury Close, Norris Green. I remember how frightened I was when an incendiary bomb came through Mrs. Foulds (our neighbours) roof especially as her house was attached to ours.
Luckily for her she was in our air raid shelter with us when we heard the almighty bang, my dad pulled aside the blackout curtain covering the door 鈥渋t鈥檚 an incendiary bomb鈥� he said as we all looked in horror at the flames through Mrs. Foulds roof, as he scrambled out she took off her best hat with the feather at the back and she plonks it on his head 鈥渢o protect you from the shrapnel鈥� she says.
The bomb had fallen on to her bed, several more neighbours had joined dad to try to put the flames out, it was dark so they had trouble finding buckets and bowls to put the flames out and one man was running backwards and forwards with cups of water from the bathroom. What a wet mess the bed was in.
When the fire was out the men decided to throw the bed out through the bedroom window, after an abortive attempt to get it down the stairs. There was feathers everywhere inside and out, some sticking to the trees it looked like a snow storm.

After dad had left the shelter, mum kept the candles going lighting one from the other and we all just sat staring at the blackout curtain covering the entrance, so when dads head suddenly appeared we all jumped out of our skins as he鈥檇 just put his head in so as not to show any light outside. His face was jet black even his nostrils, his eyes were like a pandas and Mrs. Foulds hat was still on his head, back to front, the huge pink feathers stuck to it. We all just stared at him- and no one laughed 鈥� at least not then.

I am 74 now and mum is 95, we both laugh as we remember dad that night and how we had never let him live it down.

鈥楾his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by 大象传媒 Radio Merseyside鈥檚 People鈥檚 War team on behalf of the author and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥�

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