大象传媒

I was born in May 1940 in Ruislip, Middlesex. My parents had lived in the house since 1938. I had an older brother. He was born in 1935.
Obviously, due to my age, my memories of the war are limited and some may in fact not even be of the war.
There are two that I would like to recount and share.
The first relates to doodlebugs at lunchtime. My brother used to come home frpom school for lunch. My mother and I used to collect him and we would have our lunch in the metal shelter which was built in the living room. I cannot remember the name of these shelters. I can remember sitting in this shelter one day, a hot summers days, with the french windows open onto the garden. There was an explosion over head and pieces of metal fell in the garden. We went out and they were hot. I presume a doodlebug had had been shot down over head or exploded. I can think of no other explanation.

The second may not have been a war time event. I remember one night being woken and taken into my parents room where my brother was already in our parents bed with our mother. My father was standing at the front window with the curtains open. Our house looked south towards Northolt Airfield which would have been a maximum of 5 miles away. We were told there was a thunderstorm and I could see the flashes in the sky towards Northolt. I can only think that it was a raid on the airfiled and my father was both concerned for us and waiting to see if any stray bombs landed on 'his patch' as he was a warden.

I remember rationing but of course that continued into the 50s so my memories may not be of the war time.

I remember VE day very clearly. We had a bonfire next to the wardens post in Hawtrey Drive. A dummy of hitler was 'shot' with a starters pistol that my father owned. The fire had a lot of conifer branches and when my father pushed some onto the flames they flared up and singed his eyebrows. All of the children were given a glass of lemonade and a cake. The wives of the wardens had all contributed from their artions to make the cakes.

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