- Contributed by听
- A_Boughton
- People in story:听
- Albert James
- Location of story:听
- Southend, Essex
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A7069629
- Contributed on:听
- 18 November 2005
As an 8 year old I was not evacuated, and spent many days roaming the streets looking for shrapnel, which I would swap with my friends for plane pieces or bullets. I saw a Stooker aircraft zooming along Southend High Street; I was scared.
A spitfire crashed by Southend Pier (could still be there) and saw the pilot bale out.
There were guns in the street, soldiers used to live in empty houses.
Heinkel crashed near the railway bridge; a spitfire brought it down.
We could see the German pilots sitting at the controls as they flew past.
There wasn鈥檛 much food and seemed to live in the air raid shelter.
There was tape on the windows and lights were not allowed, in fact you were really shouted at if you put a light on. I was an only child and found it frightening on my own.
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