大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from Newcastle on behalf of George Hall and has been added to the site with his permission. George Hall fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

One night in 1942 the air raid sounded and my mother took my sister and I into the air raid shelter in the back yard. The noise of the bomb so terrified us we huddled together including the Gilroy family who lived upstairs.

There was a terrific bang, the bomb crashed into Tabet St. over the road from our street, Beamish street, thankfully no one from the families were injured or killed. I can still remember the noise to this day.

Two years later when I was fishing with friends we were told to come home as there had been an accident among them John Page, there was a large crowd gathered where the bomb had gone off two years previously. a large cavity had appeared, John Page's sister had been playing on the now levelled site and had fallen into the hole. She was four years of age.

Sonny Smith, a fourteen year old Boy Scout, was lowered down the cavity to get the girl out. Sonny never came back out. My mother went for Mr. Tulip, a local Fireman. He to was lowered and never came back up. The Fire brigade came from Pilgrim street. Firemen well equipped for the job brought up the three bodies. Battlefield was devastated.

I am 69 years of age and was seven at the time and can remember it as if it was yesterday. The bomb killed no-one at the time but tragically claimed the lives of two children and one adult two years later.

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