- Contributed by听
- The CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Wiltshire
- People in story:听
- Joan Doel
- Location of story:听
- Manchester
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4566549
- Contributed on:听
- 27 July 2005
Having just qualified as a teacher in 1940, I was sent to care for children who had been evacuated to Brinscall (a small village on the Lancashire Moors).
When the school broke up for the Christmas break and I was preparing to return home to Manchester, it became obvious that there were air raid attacks going on in the surrounding areas - the sky was red and you could hear the bombs exploding.
Luckily a bus arrived filled with firemen and policemen on their way to work. Before arriving at my destination the bus stopped, and we were all told to go to the nearest air riad shelter. I spent hours and hours in the shelter. I heard afterwards that a bomber had been shot down over Exchange Station. It was a night of utter devistation
Eventually a policeman announced over a loud hailer that a driver had volunteered to drive his tram towards Reddish (this was against regulations because drivers were told to abandon their vehicles after evacuating the passengers and make for the nearest street shelter). I was lucky enough to get on the tram which proceeded very, very slowly, without lights but at least I did arrive home after a while. All the family were in our Anderson Shelter, and were relieved to see me safe and sound.
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