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15 October 2014
WW2 - People's War

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Memories

by cornwallcsv

Contributed byÌý
cornwallcsv
People in story:Ìý
Brian May, Ethel Rowe(nee Pascoe), Barbara May,Hugh Kneebone
Location of story:Ìý
Stithians near Falmouth
Background to story:Ìý
Civilian
Article ID:Ìý
A5906630
Contributed on:Ìý
26 September 2005

This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Doreen Bennett on behalf of Brian May, the author and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

MEMORIES

Gran Rowe lived in a village called Stithians which was close to Falmouth. Falmouth was a target for German bombers because of its ship’s repair docks, so the bombers would fly over Stithians on their way to bomb Falmouth. When such an attack happened an air raid warning siren would sound and every one would go downstairs and hide under the kitchen table until the all clear siren sounded. The raids were usually at night. Gran Rowe and her two sisters, Mary and Kathleen had evacuees from London staying with them. Gran’s came from Walthamstow and was called Pamela Wilson.

Just about everything including clothing was rationed. Families were only allowed so much food each week and tokens were cut out of your ration book every time you bought food to show that you had had your ‘ration’ that week! Sugar was still rationed until 1952 — seven years after the war had ended!

Gran also recalls when she was on the beach at St Ives with Clive and Brian, when two German fighter planes came over the headland from the next beach Carbis Bay and started strafing the beach with bullets. Gran Rowe quickly threw the boys in to an air raid shelter and scrambled in after them. The planes had some ammunition left over after having escorted some bombers over from Germany and didn’t want to take it all back again!

Gran Rowe’s husband Bernard, Brian’s Dad did not see active service during the war because he worked at the Telecommunications Research Establishment (TRE) at Malvern developing radar. Grandma Barbara’s father was in one of the worst jobs possible — Bomb Disposal with the Royal Engineers. He was away for the whole war but on his return just got on with his life.

Granddad’s cousin Hugh had several bombs drop on his farm at Perranwell, a village near Falmouth where bonfires used to be lit as decoys to try to get the Germans to drop their bombs before reaching Falmouth. One of these bombs remained unexploded for nearly 60 years until it was destroyed in 1999 by a bomb disposal team from Plymouth. Granddad must have driven a tractor over that hidden bomb several times as he helped Hugh during weekends and school holidays!

Truro got off very lightly during the war. A stray bomb apparently ‘bounced’ across the city and hit the old hospital which caused some damage and I think one person was killed. At the railway station the bridge was hit by bullets and the holes and dents can still be seen.

Everyone was issued with gas masks and the children’s’ masks were like a Mickey Mouse face.

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