大象传媒

My story,very brief attempts to convey the lasting inmpression on a 5year old boy and on the entire street of people who came out of doors en masse to witness the sounds, atmosphere and sheer excitement in witnessing a 1000 bomber raid as the aircraft assembled and stacked one winter's night during 1944/5.
The primary effect was created by the sound of hundreds of Lancaster bomber engines--the effect was both deafening and uplifting in excitement --something akin to the collective euphoria that can be achieved on a rare occasion at a football match. No one person could stay indoors and ignore that sound.--indeed the entire crescent seemed to be cheering and gesticulating .

Added to the sound was the sight of the clear dark sky illuminated by what seemed to be hundreds of red fairy lights winking from the bomber's tails .
I do not suppose it lasted for long but it was talked about for weeks afterwards.

The Bombers it transpired came from Finningley airbase near Doncaster and the interesting thing is that to my knowkedge they had never stacked above Sheffield before or since --it was it appears a one off ,certainly over Gleadless ,4 miles to the south of Sheffield.
As a 5 year old it was exciting --my first and only brush with the hostile side of war--a little later I became aware of and thought of those poor airmen up in the sky and the mixed feelings they must have had as they passed over and witnessed now safe domestic communities while they were gaining height .
I heard many profanities concerning Germans that night , not surprisingly the entire Crescent seemed to wish death and destruction on the "bastard"Germans --it was the first time I had heard that word.

I shall and do remember the combination of sound ,lights and the sheer excitement of that night for the rest of my life .

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