大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Lesley of Torbay Library Services on behalf of Ms Angela Watkin and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was so happily playing on Torre Abbey Sands, close to my Dad. Mum had gone home early to get the supper. Suddenly the peace was shattered by the undulating wail of the siren. I abandoned my play, ready to run. Luckily we were dressed, for Dad had only to grab my wrist in one hand, clattering my push-chair up all the steps to the exit with the other. At the top a man (on A.R.P. duty) suddenly picked me up and ran across Torbay Road - my Dad racing with the push-chair beside us. I was more bewildered than frightened.
As we hurried towards the Victorian shelter by Abbey Gardens, I looked skywards above Shedden Hill. I saw a 'plane that seemd the colour of a digestive biscuit, flying seawards. I mentally echoed a grown-up's query. 'Is it one of 'theirs' or 'one of ours'? Will it drop any bombs? What do bombs look like?
We reached the shelter and I was deposited on the seat. I can't remember if other people were there. Then, unseen by me (probably the adults blocked my view,) the burning Fokke Wulf A190 crashed into a fiery end on the beach almost opposite us. How long before the 'All Clear' sounded and we could go home, I don't know. (Apparently Dad told Mum later that the Ack-Ack gun on Corbyn's Head had probably shot down W. Hoefer's plane and ended his life.) Dad said, too, that he'd been scared by the machine-gunning and bullets - but I can't recall this myself.
Next day Mum said we would go and see the'plane. Down we went to the beach to where the former arches were. At the end nearest the slipway, on a small area about as big as half a car, was THE 'PLANE! I stared at the mangled black conglomerate of bent metal and tangled wires in disbelief.
"It doesn't look like a 'plane to me - the one in my picture book had wings and tail and someone in it!"

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