大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jean Brown and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs Joan G Brown n茅e Butcher with her permission and she fully understands the site's terms and conditions".

At the age of 10 I had just returned from evacuation when the raids began in earnest. By 1944 we were used to the siren going, and as often nothing happened we went about our life regardless. One day I was on my way back from Ilford Library; my mother was out shopping and my brother was at home, no doubt down in our Anderson shelter. The siren went so I made to go home. Then I heard the droning of a 'doodlebug' overhead. The danger was when the noise stopped, which it did. I threw myself to the ground. I was alone in the street, when the deafening explosion occurred. I put my hands over my head - absolutely terrified. I lay there for a while, and then someone came by and helped me up, dusting off the fine debris.

I ran home and when I saw my brother I started to laugh. He slapped my face and I realised I was hysterical.

We had many other near misses. A while later at 7.00am a land mine dropped and demolished a whole block of houses just a little way down our road. All our windows were smashed and a number of ceilings came down. My mother threw herself across me as I lay in bed calling for God's protection. We certainly thanked God for coming unscathed through the war.

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