大象传媒

There were no warnings, just the screaming of a shell passing overhead or the sound of large banging. You knew you were in for a shelling, which could go on for a long time or a short period.

On Dover sea front there is a large plaque from one of the German gun sites in France. 2,226 shells were listed as fired at Dover, but there were many more.

About 1960, on holiday in Italy I met a German and we started chatting. He said he had seen England during the war. Straight away I knew he must have been stationed in the Calais area. He then said he was at Cap-Gris-Nez on the guns. Then I told him I was on the receiving end of his shells and that I had seen this plaque on Dover sea front about the shells that had landed in Dover, and said to him, 鈥� Well for all those 2,226 shells, you still missed me鈥�

He was taken aback and looked quite shocked, then replied 鈥淲ell you fired back and missed me鈥�. I had seen the gun emplacements in France. It seemed we were both lucky to survive the shelling. We parted on friendly terms.

The First Shells
The shelling started at 10:11 on Monday August 12, 1940. The first German shells landed on Dover and no warning or sirens went off 鈥� just loud explosions.

The Last shells
The last shells landed on Tuesday September 26th 1944 at 02:00. Over 50 were fired and the last landed at 19:15. September was the worst experience for those in the Dover area.

The shells which effected me and my family were:

My Mother and Me. We lived at 92 High Street.
Tuesday March 2nd , 1943, between 21:00 and 00:02. A shell landed at the rear of number 71, High Street, blowing in our windows.

Wednesday June 28th, 1944, between 16:30 and 20:33. A shell landed at the rear of the Salvation Army Citadel but caused no damage to our flat.

Wednesday September 13th 1944, between 16:03 to 23:59. A shell landed at the rear of the Angel Inn.

Monday September 26th 1944, between 11:15 to 18:30. A shell landed on the already devastated Salvation Army Citadel.

My Grandparents who lived at 13 Bartholomew Street 鈥� Mr and Mrs A. Humphrey
Monday March 31st 1941. Between 11:10 and 12:40 a shell landed on 22 Bartholomew Street. The house was demolished and my grandparent鈥檚 house was wrecked. My grandfather鈥檚 leg was broken and he was taken off to hospital. My grandmother and her granddaughter came to live with us for a few weeks.

My wife to be, Doreen May Jeffrey (Age 4)
Tuesday October 2nd 1941. Between 19:40 and 23:30. Doreen was with her grandmother at 134 Clarendon Street, when it was attacked by aircraft, which dropped their load of bombs (11 in all). Houses 135 and 139 were destroyed. Doreen鈥檚 grandmother laid on top of her. Doreen was all right but her grandmother received some bomb splinters in her back. She survived all right.

The saddest day of my young life.
On Wednesday September 13th, 1944, my best friend was returning from London, having spent a few days on holiday and getting away from the shelling. He was standing, beside his sister, on one of the platforms of Dover Priory Station having just stepped off the train. At that moment (16:03) a shell landed on the station. He was blown to bits and his sister was totally unmarked.

His age was 9. His name was Fredrick Ernest George Spinner. To me he was just 鈥楩reddy鈥�, my best schoolmate. And all my life, not a week goes by but I remember him 鈥� 60 years plus.

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