大象传媒

Mr Dawkes's father, who worked on the railways, was waiting 'on the block' just outside Coventry station, waiting to take the goods train in, when he could see the train he was on going up in flames. He took his shovel, climbed up onto the roof of the train, and cleared the incendiary bombs off the roof on to the track. Mr Dawkes still has one of those incendiary bombs, which burned out, as a 'souvenir'. For his involvement in a further incident Mr Dawkes' Uncle was mentioned in the Railway Journal. Whilst driving a train and later discsovered that he had driven over a bomb crater. Since the bomb had not disrupted the rails there was nothing to prevent him from driving straight over it.

Mr Dawkes was 6 years old when the war broke out. While playing cricket in the field next to the Lockhead factory, a German plane crossed the field machine-gunning us. We grabbed the wickets, and our bikes, and ran like hell for home. Going past one of our friends' houses, their mother ran out and grabbed the three of us and took us in. When the 'All-Clear' went, my father came looking for me, found my bike - and then, found me in the house! When we came out to get my bike, there was a piece of shrapnel embedded in the tarmac. It was still so hot, my father had to get a penknife to get it out. The lads who were with me were John Knibb and George Tullitt, with whom we've lost touch.

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