- Contributed byÌý
- bluebird
- People in story:Ìý
- william howe
- Location of story:Ìý
- blackheath,camberwell london
- Article ID:Ìý
- A2220229
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 20 January 2004
My father once told me of his own fathers experience in the London blitz.
Being to old to enlist my granddad joined the auxiliary fire service and was stationed
at Invicta road junior school greenwhich,which was closed due to the pupil’s being evacuated out of London.
One November night (1940) standing watch on the school roof, my granddad went down to make hot drinks for himself and fellow watch partner.
Returning to the roof, my grandfather was met with the sight of his fellow partner rushing to push a descending parachute mine over the side of the building.
The next thing my grandfather remembers is crawling around on his hands and
Knees at ground level!!.
Many in the building were killed and the school was completely destroyed.
After seeing his dad in hospital my father asked his mum if dads face would ever be‘white‘ again,his face had been blasted with grit.
My father tells me,that on the same day as the hospital visit,their house in lomond grove Camberwell, was burnt down by an incendiary in an evening raid and so they moved along the street to another house.A little time before Christmas of that year grandfather arrived home from hospital already wearing a new fire service uniform.
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