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Entered on behalf of Raymond William Willoughby (DOB: 25th 9 1931)

All this took place between the ages of 8 to 14 years old, and occurred in Portsmouth.

During the war years I was evacuated 3 times. Once to a farm where I cannot recollect as to where it was. Secondly, to two different homes in Haslemere. After a period of time I returned home. Only to be sent to my Aunties house in Banning Street Romsey which has since been demolished.

The only excitement that happened there was one bomb which landed in a place known as Green Hill and as soon as school was out, everyone headed to see the bomb crater.
After 3 years I returned home to a house in Durban Road, Portsmouth. Here started various incidents to which I refer.

One afternoon I was allowed to go to the majestic cinema Kingston Crescent. During the performance and air raid sounded and we were all ushered to the nearest shelter that was round the corner. After a while the all clear sounded and we were allowed back to the cinema but only to find I’d lost my half ticket and was therefore not allowed back in. Feeling annoyed I started off home arriving in George street near my home, Only to find that the next street to ours which was called Daulston Road had been flattened by the bombs. It was a while afterwards that we in Durban Road were offered a corporation house in the Milton area called Edgeware Road. We all decided to stay overnight at the new house because we were all excited about our new home.

The following day we decided to go back to collect items from our old home plus the Cat, Ginger. To our dismay there was no house, and of course no cat.

Various things happened while we were at Edgeware road, just around the corner was a big wood yard called Parks, and on one particular night we were showered with incendiary bombs and the wood yard was completely burnt down. The aircraft were so low that we could all make out the German markings on the side.

One last recollection I have was doing a paper round. I was half way along Locksway road, Milton when a V2 rocket, that were called Buzz Bombs landed and blew up the outside wall surrounding St James’ hospital. Of course I was not allowed to continue my paper round so it was back home and to school!

For the rest of the war, as I was 14 at the time, was spent night after night in the shelter, and this happened till the end of the war.

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