大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War Site by Three Counties Action, on behalf of Raymond Johnson, and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

Its 1939, my Dad had just died of T.B which was a rife at that time. The doctors and powers that be decided to send me to a convalescent home in the Isle of Wight just in case I got T.B as well (As the doctor said a nice peaceful place and plenty of fresh air).

My memories begin with; I was on a swing in the home when this black plane came over (by the way, I was in Ventnor in the Isle of Wight). It was a German fighter from France, it circled over the home, so low I could see the pilot, being a kid, I waved, and he seemed to wave back. Imagination maybe? When my mum heard she promptly got me back home to Camden Town, just in time for the Blitz. (She didn鈥檛 know this was going to happen of course). In the meantime my brother-in-law had managed to get rescued from Dunkirk. I don鈥檛 know if you have seen any world at war programs but there is one shot of a double Decker, but on end, blown there by a bomb. I lined about 100 yards from that, every night on so we used to go into our Anderson Shelter, in the garden then out again in the morning. The house was still in tack apart from the land of mine landing in the block of houses opposite and blowing out all the windows, doors, and part of our roof, all was ok.

Then after a while, all went quiet for a few days, weeks. Then came the Doodlebugs. I can still remember that rough growling noise, then silence, thing came gliding down and exploding on some poor persons house of factory. I can remember being frightened and clinging on to mum. After a while they too stopped coming over.

Then came the V2鈥檚. These terrible rockets made no noise, just an almighty explosion, bringing death and destruction to anywhere they landed. Bodies like rag dolls, lying about in the road, terrible. Any way there are a lot more memories that need to really be, well not forgotten, but kept quiet about.

By the way I was called up to do my national service and I was sent to Egypt in the Suel Canal Zone cases in 1950-52 for 20 months. Very glad to get home safe.
Bye for now
Ray Johnson.

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