大象传媒

Most houses had a full sandbag issued by the Council and kept handy. Ours was in the front porch. One night, could have been near midnight, a 'swooshing' sound told us something had come down. On the crossroads at Philpotts Avenue and Goldington Road was an incendiary burning so I picked up the sandbag and laid it on top. Opposite another bomb had gone through the roof of a Mr Pullinger's house and set his settee on fire. He was tacking the fire with a stirrup pump. Everyone who wanted one had a free issue. They were put in a bucket of water and pumped and could be put on jet or mist.The pump has a valve which rattled when it was used. The pump had thirty feet of rubber hose fitted as standard.
These incendiaries were some of the first to have an explosive end which should explode one minute after the main section was burning, (the red painted section was about 6 inches long) and would deter any 'fire- fighter.' Other bombs from this container fell along Goldington Road and around and in Russell Park. Quite a few did not ignite and we collected a small heap on sand in a front garden opposite.
Fire-fighting could be practised in the 'Fire Field' which was on the corner of Barker's Lane and Newnham Avenue. (Now a car showroom and garage.) Turnings from Bedford factories (swarf from aluminium or magnesium) would burn in a corrugated iron shed. The approved technique was to lay in low and behind - something would be explained. There was a fourth floor ladder tower used for ladder training.

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