大象传媒 - WW2 People's War - Bombing of Colchester Hospital

Bombing of Colchester Hospital - my lucky escape

by stjohnscentre

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Contributed by听: stjohnscentre
People in story:听: Gertrude Doe
Location of story:听: Colchester
Background to story:听: Civilian
Article ID:听: A2869329
Contributed on:听: 27 July 2004

I was staying at Colchester with my husband for a while during the war, and I had to attend the military hospital with my little boy who was having treatment. I never missed a day.

But one day, I told everyone I was going and left the house, but for some reason I didn't go, and I can't tell you why. It was the only time I'd ever missed it. Then later we heard this plane come over, and it started bombing. We ran into the larder and I held my baby close to me to protect him, and I stood there saying "Oh my God! Oh my God!" as the plane dropped its bombs.

It dropped the first bomb to fall on Colchester at two minutes to eleven and my appointment was at eleven o'clock. It fell just outside the hospital and I would have got it, whichever way it would have fallen.

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These messages were added to this story by site members between June 2003 and January 2006. It is no longer possible to leave messages here. Find out more about the site contributors.

Message 1 - A2869329 - Bombing of Colchester Hospital - my lucky escape

Posted on: 27 July 2004 by The Fleet Air Arm Museum

hello who r u?

听

Message 2 - A2869329 - Bombing of Colchester Hospital - my lucky escape

Posted on: 27 July 2004 by stjohnscentre

hello, I am a worker at St John's centre for older people and have entered the story on this forum on behalf of Gertrude Doe, as named in the story.

Do you have any connection with the story she has written? I can relay messages and/or Gertrude can reply herself.

听

Message 3 - A2869329 - Bombing of Colchester Hospital - my lucky escape

Posted on: 09 January 2006 by littlemaureen

hello
My father was stationed in colchester in 1939 and that is why my mother was in a Colchester hospital having her baby on 25August 1939. She always told the story of how the first air raid sirens went off when she was there and she and the other mothers had to go to one shelter while their babies were taken somewhere else. This had a very traumatising effect on her. My question is: Does anyone know the date of this occassion? Would be somewhere between 25th Aug and 10th Sept 1939. I would be very keen to know the answer.
Littlemaureen

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