大象传媒

Mr Carter is willing to have his story entered onto the People's War website and agrees to abide by the House Rules.

With reference to your war time memories, an item featured recently on your programme and television was an interview with a gentleman from Newton Abbot with reference to the bombing raid on 20 August 1940.

It revived memories for me of what must have been the most dangerous and terrifying incident in my life although it did not seem so at the time.

In 1940 my mother was appointed Matron of a hostel for evacuees which was based at Milton House (since destroyed by fire?). On 20 August she had an afternoon off duty and we went for a walk along the banks of the River Teign. It was a beautiful afternoon I remember and when we passed the row of cottages near the station we noticed a little girl playing ball in the garden.

Our peace was shattered by 3 planes which came roaring up the estuary, very low over our heads. We looked up and saw the black crosses and I remember my mother exclaiming 'They're Germans'. Almost simultaneously, as we turned to follow their progress what appeared to be a string of large beads fell to earth, followed by massive explosions. I did not realise what had happened until my mother said 'They've bombed Newton Abbot'. The planes turned and roared towards us, emitting a spluttering sound. My mother grabbed me and flung me and herself to the ground under the nearest bush, which happened to be a hawthorn. I remember being most indignant at being quite badly scratched but my mother took it all in her stride saying we must hurry back in case any of the children in her care were affected.

We passed the cottges, no longer a complete row and I have often wondered what happened to that little girl. The station had been severely damaged and some 20 rails from the track blown across the road into the park opposite. I remember one sticking into the ground and 'standing up' - an unbelievable sight to me; a very immature 11-year old. Fortunately apart from some broken windows, Milton House and its occupants were all safe. My mother must have been frightened by the experience but she conveyed none of her fear to me. We left Newton Abbot before the end of 1940 and returned to the peace and relative safety of Gittisham where we stayed until 1955.

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