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This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Sandra Beckett on behalf of Gladys Hall, the author, and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and condition.
My husband worked in the Dock Police on the River Tyne and when the siren went whatever time of the day or night (if he was not already on duty) he had to get on his cycle and go down to the docks. This was probably a 2 mile plus ride.

On one occasion he was cycling past St Peters Church when a bomb exploded nearby and he was thrown off his cycle. His fellow police officer lived nearby and so he went to his house to shelter as he was very shaken. He found Jimmy and his family in the shelter, all ok, so after a cup of tea the pair of them cycled off to the docks, where they were again bombed. Fortunately, neither of them was hurt.

During 1941 I was often left alone with my young baby whilst Norman, was on duty. On these occasions, when the siren was sounded I had to bundle my daughter up and go into the shelter in our garden — there was no one else there, so it was rather lonely.
One particular night he had been called out, the siren went and we were off into the shelter — that day I had spent a long time cleaning and polishing — as a young mother I was very house-proud and we had saved to buy nice furniture etc. Amidst all the chaos outside, I could only think of my lovely dining table which I had carefully polished and covered with a chenille cloth so that it would not be scratched.
When the all clear sounded, I went back into the house to find the windows had been blown in and that there was glass everywhere — however — my table was fine — the cloth had saved the day.

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