大象传媒

I was 13 when war was declared on Germany. Everyone carried out as usual. However, children were evacuated to the country. My sister and I were sent to Patrington to stay with our eldest sister.

Our Man brought us both home as Hull seemed to be quiet and I needed to find a job! In 1941 we heard that London was being bombed every night, but as nothing seemed to be happening in Hull we thought we would be alright.

All this changed one night in September, 1941. The Air raid siren started wailing and we all went into the shelter. I heard a long droning noise, which came from the German Bombers鈥nd then the bombs fell. I sat huddled in a corner of a bunk bed. I put my thumbs in my ears and my little fingers between my teeth. I was shaking with fear. It was dawn when the all-clear sounded.

We did this night after night. Hull was now the Bombers target. One night my older sister refused to join us in the shelter. She stayed in the house reading a comic. There was a really loud explosion nearby and my sister ran into the shelter covered in soot. We all laughed so much we almost forgot about the air raid for a while. When the all-clear sounded we returned to our house very tired and in need of sleep. However, we found that all the windows had been blown out. We had to clear the glass away and nail some old curtains on to the windows as it was very cold.

I went to work the next morning and had to walk through Alexandra Road to get to the Erco factory in Ryde Avenue, Hull. I walked past a bombed site as ARP workers searched for bodies. I tried not to look at the devastation. When I arrived at the factory a girl told us that her house had been hit and that her family were staying in a church hall.

This is how the brave people of Hull carried on. No time for feeling sorry for yourself!

My Dad went to work for Thornton Varleys, a high class store in the centre of town. He had to watch out for incendiary bombs and put them out with a stirrup pump. One night we were all in the shelter when my Dad came home with no coat on. He had his whistle and helmet on and had run for his life as many of the stores in the town were ablaze. The whole of the sky was red. We could see the glow from Newland Avenue, which was several miles away.

I will never forget how brave and wonderful the citizens of Hull were. They never gave in at any time. There are so many untold stories of bravery.
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Posted by Alan Brigham - www.hullwebs.co.uk

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