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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Karen Joyce from Westree Learning Centre and has been added to the website on behalf of Bernard Winter with his permission and they fully understand the site’s terms and conditions.

During the Battle of Britain, the day was bright and sunny, it was about midday, and there was a dog fight going on right over the centre of Maidstone. The sky was filled with vapour trails and the rattle of machine gun fire was heard every now and then. Danger never entered into our heads as I stood with my mother, sisters and neighbours in the back yard watching this spectacular air show.

That was until, at rooftop height and to our left this massive aircraft, a German Me 109 loomed, had the pilot pressed the trigger on his gun it would have caught the lot of us, but I think he had enough to worry about as he crashed in the park just up the road from where we were standing.

Though these memories are quite clear, when you are only 12 years of age the dates of the happenings do not register, and do not seem so important at the time.

As far as I can remember it must have been well into the War when the next bit of excitement came along, to a young lad that is…

One quiet evening, warm and calm, I played outside the front of the house with my mates, no sirens and no action of any kind, when all of a sudden there was an almighty explosion, and being young off we flew to see what it was.

Down to Old Tovil Road across to King Edward Road and at the end of the road you arrive at Hayle Road, and there at the junction of Hayle Road and Campbell Road, the house on the corner had its walls blown out. Apparently, the Germans had a massive gun on the French Coast which was able to fire a long distance and that is why we had not had a siren, and so it surprised everybody.

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