大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Nona Dougherty of the GMR Action Desk on behalf of Ronald Vincent Train and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and condition."

The night of the Manchester Blitz we were sitting at home when the sirens sounded. We could hear the aircraft overhead, then suddenly the splosh-fiz, this was the sound in incendiary bombs exploding. My father then stated "My God - this is it!"

As he was in the N.F.S., he put on his gumboots and disappeared through the door. I followed to collect sandbags to put on the incendiaries that were dropping all over the place.

Somebody called me for the keys to collect ladders from Moulten Street where they were stored in the builders yard. Having passed out various ladders, we ran to Warde
Street where incendiaries were lodged in the gutters. I left to collect more bags to cover other bombs when I heard my father call with a trill whistle. As this was his signal he used for my brother and I whenever he wanted us, I ran home and then helped him off with his gumboots which were full of water. He then donned his uniform and disappeared. His first fire that night was to be T. Seymour Meads at the corner of Medlock Street and Stretford Road.

My mother had made a drink and said "Before you go out again, have this drink, but whilst sitting there I got this awful smell! Looking down at my feet I found nothing but looking at my hands I found what the local dogs had left for us along with the sandbags!

The following morning everybody went off to work. Streets were littered with broken glass, shops wide open with notes in the spaces where the windows used to be - "OPEN AS USUAL".

The company that I worked for did a fair amount of work for the breweries so we went to our first job in Jackson Street to jack up the damaged roof. Another casualty was the Hare & Hounds on Schude Hill. This was very badly damaged as we had to replace a large part of the roof.

Some days later I was walking down Vine Street and passing Pounall Street, I heard a low flying aircraft. Looking up I saw it to be a German fighter, presumably taking photographs of the damage.

I volunteered to join the Fleet Air Arm but received a letter to say that I was in a reserved occupation. Failing this I volunteered for the R.A.F. My papers arrived and I was to report to Arbroath. The morning that I was to leave, I also received my papers for the Bevan Boys to go down the pits!

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