大象传媒

I was working in Martin's bank and was never allowed into the manager's office. One day I was invited in. I thought I was about to be sacked. The manager pointed to the phone- it was my brother, who was in the RAF. He told me, "Tell mum I am ok, I've been shot. I've been on the rack for three days." The manager put me into a cab, I was terrified of getting sacked and couldn't tell mum. My brother was saved, but he was ok. Harold Pollard, my other brother, was in Dunkirk, a really handsome lad. He was mentally injured. So manly, he ran to my mum crying.

We eventually lost everything. Before Martins Bank, we were bombed in the May Blitz, 1941 and had a special air raid shelter built in the garden. Two bricks were left out to let in the air. The previous night incendiaries had set the house on fire, took all the money and moved the next day. Bombs dropped on the house and were were stuck in the shelter for three hours- the house had landed on the shelter. Whiskey and cigarettes were given to the wardens- they came and we could hear them saying "we're wasting our time, they're gone." We were screaming, "save us!"

We walked through the park to the church. A new house was gone, there was nothing, not even a cup. Even the money was gone. Within one hour people knocked on the door. People from Bootle gave use everything, the care was fantastic. We were left furniture and crockery. It felt so safe with everyone looking after you.

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