大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Derek Hooton with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Born in 1938, our house was close to the firestation which had the airraid siren fitted. It was a horrendous noise!! Mum took us (my sister and I) down to the cellars where there were all our stores of pickled eggs, jams and bottled fruit and the lime-washed coal.

Dad was away in the air force, ground staff, instrument mechanic, stationed at Newbury, Berks, then at Melksham, Wilts. At the end of the war, to RAF Newton on compassionate grounds. My first recollection of my dad is when he cycled home in the winter. His bushy black eyebrows were white with frost.

Walking up Cartergate, I was about 5yrs old, Mother yanked us under an archway. The main street was being strafed by a fighter/bomber.

When the nearby ball bearing factory was bombed it was discovered later that the officer who led the raid had, in fact, been educated at Newark Tech. College. He knew exactly where to pin point.

I saw the sky black with bombers stacking up to go out to bomb Germany across the North Sea. Lincolnshire and this part of Notts was known as bomber country.

There was a POW camp at Sconce Hills and my Grandad's allotment backed on to it. Not a bad childhood as possibly our parents kept us out of it.

I remember the convoys of troops going along ready for the D-Day landing. Our after hour it seemed endless!

I still hate to see food wasted, or any waste of any kind.

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