大象传媒

This story was submitted by Alison Tebbutt, Derby CSV Action Desk on behalf of Dennis Villers. The author has given his permission and understands the site's terms and conditions

I was nine years old. Ansell's Brewery was near our home and that is where we used to go during the raids. Our house got bombed out four times. We just had to keep moving house. I lived with my parents, and my brother and sister. My father was in the A.F.S. His name was Sidney. A bomb hit the house opposite ours on Victoria Road. My father went to save a young child who was trapped in there. He tried to save him. Unfortunately, another bomb hit, and both my father and the young child were killed.

The Birmingham area was hit hard, we had raids all the time. My mother looked after all of us. I remember the ration books.

We had cellars in our houses but we perfered those at the Brewery. I think all the adults did too, because they often got free beer. Some didn't come out until hours after the raids!

I remember playing in some of the bombed out buildings, and I remember dancing in the streets when the war ended.

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