大象传媒

I was about fiften at the time living in 55 Ashley Park Road in Rusthall.

1943 July 28. A flying bomb was 'winged' by fighters over the country side to the east of Tunbridge Wells. It proceeded to make an erratic glide over the town. After some extraordinary antics in the air it came to earth on an allotment at Powder Mill Lane. There it lay; a gift long yearned for by the BDS. They soon arrived and ignoring the risk drew the fangs of the bomb and took their treaured trophy away. No casualties. Only damage to a few telephone wires.

I see that one coming down straight to the station. A copper was seeing children across the road to Christchurch School (now Morrisons). He came running down the road saying, "Get inside! Get inside!"
I said, "I'm not getting in there, the place will fall down on top of me!"
I was getting ready to get down when all of a sudden, the plane levelled out and landed in Powder Mill Lane.
In the meanwhile, The 81 Bus was standing on the bridge and he came tearing down the road backwards faster than it went forwards!

We learnt after that it was the first bomb that was unexploded so they could investigate it. When they got there, the chickens were running all over the bomb!

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Helena Noifeld of 大象传媒 Radio Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Les Chapman with his permission. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.