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This story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Radio Bristol Action Desk at City of Bristol College.

Joan's father worked at the BAC at Filton in Bristol. Bombs were dropped there, and Joan's father David went in to pull out survivors. They were called 'The Heroes of Shobdon' for that. One of Joan's friend's father was pulled out and was stone deaf from then.

Joan was 3 during the war and the children tended to find the air raids exciting. When they were rushing down to the shelter one night, her father's hat fell and in the morning they found it with a piece of shrapnel right through the cap.

Joan's father was in the Home Guard and used to go up at night on to Purdown at Horfield, Bristol. He didn't go into the army because he was working at the aircraft factory and it was a reserved occupation. He did the Home Guard as extra to do his bit.

Joan and her sister were going to be evacuated. But her mum cancelled it because Joan's sister, Audrey, had asthma and it had been heard that a child had been put off a train.

Joan had never seen a banana during the war. They were 1/6 a pound, and Joan went to buy some. They were black when she brought them back but Joan didn't know they were supposed to be yellow. So they ate them and then took the skins back to the shop and got 1/6 each back.

'Beating the Invader' was a Ministry of Information leaflet and it was put through every door and told what to do if you were invaded.

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