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This story has been submitted to the People’s War website by a volunteer from Lincoln CSV Action Desk on behalf of Ray Evans and has been added to the site with his permission. Mr Evans fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

One day when I went to school there was part of a German bomber shot down in the pool of the park nearby. We were all looking for souvenirs from it but the plane was heavily guarded. Other incidents I remember were when a land mine was dropped by parachute and found its way onto the roof of the Council House in Smithwick High Street. That was a shock!

Also, when a flaming German bomber came down and demolished a row of houses nearby. This was more upsetting for mom and dad as it killed Mrs Smart and her three children who were in the house at the time. Mr Smart was with my dad at the time and watched the plane crash into the houses which must have been devastating. Freddy and Brian Smart, who died, were mine and Bert’s friends as we were all the same ages.

Another incident took place one evening during an air raid. Mom and Bert were in the shelter and dad and I were outside listening to the bombers overhead. Our next door neighbour Mr Bailey was standing on his shelter, looking important with his tin hat on, when we heard this whoosh noise and the next thing I saw was Mr Bailey lifted up in the air and swept over our boards into the school playing fields. I should point out here that where we lived in Auckland Road, at the top of all our gardens was 6’ chestnut fencing separating us from the school boundaries. Then there was an enormous flash and bang nearby. Dad pushed me to the ground and shouted to Mom that we were both ok. He then went to the boards and shouted ‘are you alright Reg?’ As I crawled on to the top of our shelter I could see Mr Bailey sitting up looking dazed. The blast of the bomb had taken him over the fencing. IN fact those bombs demolished a row of houses in Brisbane Road, which was the next road to us, with a number of casualties.

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