大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Story gatherer Jessica on behalf of Aileen Chitty. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.
Having been blasted out of our home in Welling, Kent, we moved into Maze Hill, Greenwich SE18. Dad was on fire duties many nights at the National Maritime Museum where he was Director, and I had to cycle 5 miles a day, on a sit up and beg one with a front basket which held my homework, which I was still trying to learn! To where I took my matriculation at a later date during another air raid in the concrete basement of Maryville Convent, my school in Welling. Cycling to school one day the sirens went, I usually ignored them and carried on past Blackheath where the ach guns were. They started, I had no tin hat on, so I was stopped by the army billeted near Charlton Baths and was put in a shelter of theirs until the all clear sounded. I continued on my journey looking forward to my free wheel down the other side of Shooters Hill, but to my horror the nuns were outside the convent looking for me, I hadn't thought to ask if a message could be sent to them or my parents - then I was frightened! From then on I was made a border!

Back in Maze Hill we were on the third floor of our house beside the fire in the little study, when the noise above us stopped - a doodlebug (rocket under its own power) was going to drop, it hit the Maze Hill station nearly opposite us, we got the blast. I rushed to the door to head for the basement where our Springer-spaniel had had five puppies. I can still feel my fathers hand trying to grab me and throw me under the table, but as I had run, he, mum and my younger brother, on his only visit home from evacuation with the Roan School in Wales in 1940, ran after me, dad bundled us into the Morrison shelter which was beside the dog basket, through the choking dust I watched Peggy鈥檚 cut paws cuddling her puppies and heard 鈥淐ome on now, someone down there must like a hot chocolate,鈥� the WRVS to our rescue. I was in stitches, what a time to laugh, next door, their young son had been having a bath on the top floor, and he tumbled down the flights of stairs in time and was now with us on the pavement, naked!

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