大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People鈥檚 War-web site by CSV Action Desk Volunteer Frank Bagley on behalf Kathleen Daisy Berry (Nee Potter) with her permission. She fully understands the terms and conditions of the web-site

Memory Lane

At the age of 14yrs I left school on Friday and started work on the Monday at the London Laundry. My wages were 18 shillings a week (90p), we worked from 8 till 6 daily and 8 till 1 on Saturday then we a had whole day and a half to do just what we wanted. But the war was on and most of the young men were called up for National Service, so women rallied round and did their jobs wherever it was possible. There were a lot of Air Raids especially at night so much of our evenings were spent in the Air Raid shelters. As my sister and I worked at the laundry, we lived in one of the houses for employees and had our own shelter. One particular night the raid was very bad the planes were dropping what was called Molotov Baskets, made up of all sorts if incendiary bombs, which were exploding as they came down to the ground causing complete devastation and injury to people all around. One night a bomb came down on the Laundry itself killing two firemen who were on duty, these two men were brothers. The shelter we were in that night had all the slack, which was a small coal stored on top which kept the boilers going at the Laundry, as a result the bomb caused the slack to slide down the stairs of the shelter and we had to climb out up a ladder and through a manhole cover, it was very frightening so after this we decided not to go into the shelter again and stayed at home under the staircase whenever the sirens would go again, at least we were together. My dad and my brother were in the A.F.S. helping put fires out and finding places for people to stay as many were homeless. Every one opened their doors to them and did what they could providing clothes and food, they were very lean times and when the Blitz on Coventry came it was raised to the ground. It was devastating for every one. Nobody will ever forget who experienced these raids. I still remember as if it was yesterday.

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