大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥� Sheffield鈥� Team on behalf of John Drewell, and has been added to the site with the author鈥檚 permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
===============================================

One morning during the winter of 1940/41 at about 5 o鈥檆lock, in complete blackout, the sirens went, waking everyone up and telling us to go to the air raid shelters wearing our gas masks.

Suddenly in the distance I, John Drewell, heard the drone of aircraft engines in the sky, eventually they were returning from a raid on the Liverpool area. The sky was suddenly illuminated by searchlight beams combing the night sky above in order to find these aeroplanes.
Eventually one beam found its target and all the others joined up to light up the planes which appeared to be painted black. Within seconds Ack Ack batteries at Dewsbury Road and Middleton Clearings were pounding shells at the enemy aircraft. At least one was hit and I know that one was brought down, although I have no idea where it came down. It was displayed in City Square, Leeds for several days for morale purposes.

The might of the German army was fearful at that time and we weren鈥檛 prepared for combat against such a well equipped force.

The City of Leeds adopted an aircraft carrier HMS 鈥楢rk Royal鈥� which was sunk by U-boats early on in the war.

There was an immediate appeal to the citizens to raise cash for a replacement 鈥楢rk Royal鈥�. A savings certificate sales drive was made, selling saving certificates for 15/- (fifteen shillings (75p) each with a promise of repayment of 拢1-0-6d (拢1.02陆) after five years. The schools ran the sales drives and also there was a city wide jam jar collection at all schools for the 鈥楢rk Royal鈥� fund. Hundreds of kids brought prams, barrows and bogies laden with jam jars all for the fund.

Eventually a new 鈥楢rk Royal鈥� was built bearing the plaque, 鈥淒onated by the People of the City of Leeds鈥�. Unfortunately this 鈥楢rk Royal鈥� was sunk by the enemy too.

One thing that stuck in my mind was when the U.S. servicemen arrived here and the first Blackman I ever saw was a U.S. soldier in Leeds City Centre, around 1943. English girls began to be friendly with the Yanks, as they were called, and my own cousin brought a G.I. home to meet the family. They married and after the war she emigrated to California to be re-united with her husband in Sacramento, I never saw her again.

On V.E. Day, May 8th 1945, all the streets began to put out flags and bunting. 鈥淲elcome Home鈥� signs were also hung out, but it was a long wait for some. One lad I know didn鈥檛 even know his own father as he came down the street, back from war after five years away. This may have been a common situation!

Pr-BR

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