大象传媒

I was born in September, 1937, in Milton, Gravesend, Kent, moving to an address in Valley Drive, Gravesend, around the start of the War. The new house was just a short distance from my Maternal Grandmother, Mrs. Emma Mary Chrighton who lived with her second husband, Bill, and a son by her first marriage, Alf Green. They shared an Anderson Air Raid Shelter with their next door neighbour, a Mrs. Turner. Between the two back gardens was a low paling fence, the Air Raid Shelter being in Mrs. Turner's garden and the entrance facing the houses.

One day (I'm not sure of the exact date but must have been late in the War) Mrs. Turner ran out of her house screaming for my Grandmother to "Come quick, Emma!! There's a Doodlebug coming!!" The Doodlebug, or V1, was a pilotless flying bomb propelled by a pulse engine. When the engine stopped the bomb would dive down and explode randomly at any time or place. They
sent shudders of fear into anyone who heard them coming - would they suddenly stop and dive down?

My Grandmother was in her kitchen and on hearing Mrs. Turner shout she rushed out into the garden, across the lawn and towards the shelter. This meant crossing the paling fence. Mrs. Turner was waiting to help her over but Grandma's skirt got caught in the wires holding the wooden palings together! Mrs. Turner started to pull and Grandma started to giggle. Soon they were both laughing as the Doddlebug droned nearer.

As the Flying Bomb got nearer so an Allied 'plane which was chasing it tipped the bomb's wing up, this caused the bombs gyro system to fail and the V1 crashed and exploded onto nearby marshes.

It still amazes me today that at that moment of danger two ladies should see the funny side of their situation.

My Grandmother is long gone but this is one of those wonderful memories which bring her back to me.

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