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The accounts below are from an interview with my grandmother, Angie Hibbs, recorded in 1992. Angie's son (my father), Alan, was also present. Angie's husband, Frank, was an Air Raid Warden.

Alan: "What were you saying about the bomb at the top of Hempstead Lane? That was a flying bomb was it or was it an ordinary one?"

Angie: "No that was an ordinary one. The one where the estate is now. I think it’s where the pond is they’ve got out there. It made a whopping great hole. That was on one night, after dark. It must have been grandmother Hibbs’ wedding anniversary I think, and I think my birthday was the same day. It was October 16th. And Tim [Frank's brother, RAF] was home then. He was pushing her up in the chair. They just got to the back door when this thing went over. He came rushing in and not long afterwards we heard a terrific "bonk". And after they’d gone home later we went up and had a look at it. Up the lane. Great big hole."

Alan: "Dad had to go out when there were bombs?"

Angie: "Oh yes, he had to go out. He was a warden. He had to go from our place to Hailsham and John Davis was with him I think. He had to go out every night. I was left on my own, and I know one particular night, things were extra noisy. I was in bed on my own, I thought any minute I’d got to get under the bed. It was just one continual roar with these planes going over. I didn’t have to get under the bed as nothing happened! But I was on my own."

Alan: "Do you remember which year that was? Was it 1940?"

Angie: "Yes, it was before you were born, because I was by myself, so it must have been. That was when the first ordinary planes went over, not the flying bomb things.

The sirens would go. Well the siren went. We were married on May the 25th 1940. We were living in London Road and the siren went on the Sunday morning. The first day after we were married, the siren went. Oh golly, old Frank had got to go dashing off out, and it was a false alarm, that was. It wasn’t all false alarms though."

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