大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the site by the 大象传媒's Peoples War Team in the East Midlands with Pat and Ray Stickleys permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

In the summer of 1942 at the age of 15, I was in the Army cadets on manoeuvres south of Salisbury in the Wiltshire downs. We suddenly heard the sound of gunfire and then the low uneven sound of a German plane, I ran to the top of the hill laid down and watched a Meschersmiht heading straight towards us . I could see the Gasometer on fire in the city and then looked up into the face of the Pilot. If only my rifle had not been a wooden one, the pilot would never have returned to France to fly again. ( 3 years later I was a marksman with the Lee Enfield rifle in the Army.) I had no idea that my future wife, who was nine at the time was being protected by my future Mother-in-law down in the "Meds". We have now been married for 54 years but the memory is still vivid to us both.

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