大象传媒

When the war started on Sept 3rd 1939 I was 7 years old.Living with my parents at 1 Thorndene Ave New Southgate.We had moved there in March 39. I can remember my parents relief in 1938 at the time of Munich. My father Robert had served in the royal flying Corp in the first world war winning the Meritorious Service Medal and being mentioned in dispatches.He worked in the photo engraving dept at the Times Newspaper.My sister Babs aged 19 also lived with us at this time. We listened on the radio to Chamberlins broadcast at 11am. Almost immediately the air raid sirens sounded, that dreadful sound that can still cause my stomach to turn over! We took cover under the stairs thought to be the safest place in the house.Luckily this time it was a false alarm as was the alert later that night the first of many times I was woken by the sirens terror stricken. Nothing much happened then until May 1940 when the Germans attacked on the western front.From June onward the Battle of Britain raged but in North London we saw little of the battle.A couple of times we were kept in the school cloakrooms that served as a shelter waiting for the all clear but no real action.Then on September 7th 1940 things changed dramatically! We had driven to Cheshunt to fish in the resouvoir owned by the Red Spinners fishing club of which my father was a member.No sooner had dad parked the car when the sirens sounded. It was soon apparent that this was something very different.Soon the air was filled with the sound of aero engines and gunfire we took shelter in a corragated iron shed where members kept rods and other fishing tackle.The sounds were terrifying Heavy guns firing at the enemy planes also machine guns of our fighters and the enemy bullets whizzed through the trees and some shrapnel hit the roof of the shed.This seemed to go on for ever but must have been about 40 mins.Dad gave up the idea of fishing and we drove home.There was a burning aircraft in the cemetary on the Cambridge Rd and as we got near home we saw many damaged buildings. We stopped in a pub in Southgate I think the Rising Sun from the garden looking to the east the sky was red from the burning docks in the east end.I will never forget the sight.We arrived home and I was put to bed.I had hardly dropped off when the sirens sounded again,the bombing lasted till dawn.By this time we had an Anderson shelter in the garden and we spent the night down there.The next day was a repeat performance, my dad had to work on Sundays and went to work at 4 pm.He didn't arrive home until gone 9am the next day my mother was beside herself with worry.The daylight raids stopped at the end of September but the night raids continued until May 10th 1941.There were 76 nights on the trot that we were raided.Most of this is now a blur I can remember the first night and the last but in between its just a blur.One thing the recreations of the Blitz always get wrong is the incredible noise! The Anti aircraft guns firing non stop the sound of whistling bombs and shells the shrapnel richocheting off the streets etc.And of course the Waugh Whaugh sound of the Heinkel engines.The sudden brightnes when a flare was dropped bringing a feelng of nakedness that is hard to describe.The searchlights swinging hither and thither across the sky(I still get a sick feeling when I see searchlights).Any way many houses in the district were hit by bombs I can remember where most of them fell many bombsites had static water tanks put on them to supply much needed water to the fire service the AFS. My school was hit by incendary bommbs but unfortunately thge AFS put the fire out without much damage.After May 1941 things quitened down just the occasional raids then in June 44 the V weapons started I will tell you about those soon.

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