大象传媒

Alfred Longbottom has been a friend of my family for many years. I have his full permission to add his story on my personal page. His experience in Liverpool in 1940 is written as an introduction to his two other stories, 'Russian and Malta Convoys Parts 1 and 2'. He served with the Royal Navy from 1940 throughout World War Two as a decoder.

"I wasn't 'called up' for War Service but I volunteered for the Royal Navy and was accepted.

I joined HMS WELLESLEY at Liverpool for training, this was very near to GLADSTONE DOCK. At that time there was heavy bombing of Liverpool on a regular daily basis. Around 4 p.m. each day, German Aircraft came in, flying across North Wales. Some of the streets were littered with shrapnel, which 'crunched' under your shoes as you walked, and many streets were cordoned off with notices such as 'unexploded bomb' or 'land mine'.

If you took a couple of hours leave and crossed the Mersey by Ferry, you could be stranded on the wrong side of the river when the ferries were cancelled due to air raids.

One weekend I went home on leave to Halifax and shortly after I arrived there was a dull 'thud' in the distance. I told my parents, "That's a bomb!" They said, "No, not in Halifax - you've seen so much in Liverpool you're 'bomb - happy."

The next day the local paper reported bomb damage to several properties in the town, and some casualties. I've never known if this was caused by enemy aircraft, or by the R.A.F. in error."

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.