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My father who was in the Royal Marines was posted to the Admiralty in London to guard Sir Winston Churchill and the Cabinet about 1942 so we moved to Tolworth near Surbiton in Surrey so that my father could come home each night. However, this was in the direct line of fire leading to London and so we were plagued by ‘doodle-bugs’ etc going overhead. If the doodle-bugs engine stopped directly overhead they would cruise a further couple of miles before exploding, but if their engines stopped just before you — look out! I remember during the worst of the raids we slept for 13 weeks in the Anderson shelter in the garden which was rather cramped as there were 3 adults and 1 child and the shelter was rather small.

I also remember having 6 weeks off school at that time which delighted us children.

I was only about 6 or 7 at this time but I remember walking home alone from school one day and seeing a German plane overhead. Imagine my surprise when I saw the pilot parachuting out! I was a bit worried about what I should do but I heard afterwards that several local men reached the pilot almost before he reached the ground.

Another amusing incident involved my grandmother who lived with us. One day while she was out shopping the siren went off and the butcher whose shop she was in at the time bustled all his customers into the chilled room amongst the sides of beef. |It was probably the safest place at the time.

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