大象传媒

ON ONE PARTICULAR DAY WE WERE UNDER OUR DESKS WHEN WE HEARD A VERY LOUD BANG, EVERYONE WAS FRIGHTENED, WE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT WAS HAPPENING. I TOOK THE LONG WAY HOME AND FOUND THAT A SHIP HAD COLLIDED WITH THE DEAL PIER. THE PIER WAS TOTALLY DESTROYED AND ALL THE CHILDREN WATCHED AS THEY BROUGHT THE BODIES OF THE SEAMEN ASHORE.I RAN HOME TO GET A BUCKET, AS THE SHIP AS CARRYING COAL(BLACK GOLD), WE ALL STARTED TO COLLECT THE COAL. THE PLAYTINGFIELD ACROSS THE ROAD FROM WHERE I LIVED WAS TAKEN OVER BY THE ARMY AND BARRAGE BALLOONS INSTALLED, THESE HELPED TO DETER ANY ENEMY LOW FLYING AIRCRAFT.SHORTLY AFTER THIS,IN 1940, I WAS EVACUATED TO SOUTH WALES AND THE WAR SEEMED TO HAVE GONE AWAY.MY MOTHER HEADED OFF TO PORTSMOUTH,AS MY FATHER WAS IN THE ROYAL MARINES.SHE WAS VERY LUCKY WHILE THERE THE BOMBING BECAME VERY HEAVY AND THE HOUSE SHE WAS IN WAS HIT, SHE FOUND HERSELF SURROUNDED BY A COLLAPSED HOUSE. SHE WAS SAFE AS SHE HID UNDER THE STAIRS.I RETURNED TO KENT IN 1942/3 ENDING UP IN ASHFORD,THE BOMBING WAS STILL GOING ON ALL AROUND US. 1944 CAME ROUND AND THEY STARTED INSTALLING AIRFIELDS ALL AROUND ASHFORD(KNOWN AS BOMB ALLEY). THERE WERE ALL NATIONALITIES STATIONED HERE, AMERICANS,POLISH, IRISH,AUSTRALIANS AND OF COURSE THE BRITS. DAYLIGHT RAIDS BY ENEMY PLANES WERE THE WORST AS IT WAS JUST A SHORT HOP ACROSS THE CHANNEL AND THE WHERE AFTER THE AIRFIELDS AND FACTORIES IN ASHFORD.DOODLE BUGS(FLYING BOMBS) WERE OUR NEXT HORROR, I LAYED IN BED AND WATCHED THEM FLY OVER AND HEARD THE HEAVY DRONE OF THE ENGINE,THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN IT WENT QUIET. NOTHING SEEMED TO HAPPEN, THEN THERE WAS A LOUD EXPLOSION WAY OFF IN THE DISTANCE.ONE DROPED ABOUT ABOUT HALF A MILE AWAY, ON AN R.A.F BASE. I LOST SEVERAL FRIENDS THAT NIGHT. MOST OF THEM DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEAREST BASE AFTER ATTENDING A LOCAL DANCE BUT UNFORTUNATELY NVER LIVED TO TELL THE TALE. TIME WENT BY AND WE HAD A P.O.W (PRISONER OF WAR) CAMP BUILT RIGHT ON OUR DOOR STEP. THEY WEREN'T ALLOWED THEIR FREEDOM STRAIGHT AWAY BUT WE USED TO TALK TO THEM THROUGH THE FENCE. THEY ALL ADMITTED THEY DIDN'T WANT TO GO TO WAR BUT WERE FORCED TO BY OTHERS IN THEIR COUNTRIES. EVENTUALLY THEY WERE ALLOWED TO ROAM AROUND IN CERTAIN AREAS. THEY BROWN UNIFORMS WITH BEIGE PATCHES ON BOTH TROUSERS AND JACKETS. THEY SEEMED FRIENDLY ENOUGH ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO TALK TO AT A GARDEN GATE. A FRIENDSHIP WAS STARTED UP WITH ONE YOUNG LAD(ABOUT 19),HIS NAME WAS VINCENTE,WHO MADE MY MOTHER A LOVELY SHOPPING BASKET. BY THE WAY THESE WERE ITALIAN SOLDIERS BUT THEY SOON MOVED ON AND WERE REPLACED BY GERMANS, WHAT A DIFFERENT KIND OF PEOPLE THEY TURNED OUT TO BE. SECURITY WAS INCREASED AROUND THE CAMP BECAUSE SOME OF THEM WOULD SPIT AND SHOUT AT US. SEVERAL OF THEM TRIED TO ESCAPE,A.R.P'S WOULD COME AROUND AND WARN US TO LOCK OUR DOORS.

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