- Contributed by听
- Sheerness Community Learning Centre
- People in story:听
- Frank Clifton
- Location of story:听
- Tunbridge Wells
- Article ID:听
- A2930654
- Contributed on:听
- 19 August 2004
At the outbreak of Word War II, I lived in Tunbridge Wells and I was eight years old. My first memory was walking to the shops with my Mother, and one of the local lads called out 鈥淗ave you heard the latest, Mrs Clifton? The war has started!鈥 I don鈥檛 remember our reaction. Previous to that, I can remember my Dad making the blackout preparations 鈥 he made wooden frames and covered them with roofing felt.
My next memory was going to the Spa golf course with my mates, where we used to go into the lake to retrieve golf balls to sell to the Pro for 2s 6p for 50. On this particular morning, as we arrived, we saw a fire at the top of the hill, by the third tee. To our surprise it was a German aircraft; the pilot was laying on the fairway, having been pulled out by some early morning golfers and some local lads. We knew there was a war on.
On another occasion, I was fishing with my Dad at Fordcombe. It was peaceful until what became known as a Dogfight between Spitfires and German fighters raged overhead and I can remember my Dad lying on top of me.
During that part of my life, I was doing a paper round, which took me to a very select part of Tunbridge Wells called Broadwater Down and it was a tree-lined road, about three-quarters of a mile long 鈥 it was the local millionaire鈥檚 row. At this time it was full of army lorries, anti-aircraft guns and soldiers 鈥 I assume that the army chose this location because it could not be seen from the air due to the tree coverage. One particular morning, I rode into Broadwater Down and it was empty 鈥 not a soldier, a gun or a lorry in sight, not even a piece of paper. I learned later that it was D-Day.
My funniest memory of the war was when I was standing in the garden with my Mum and Dad, when a lot of aircraft came over and my Mum asked my Dad:
鈥淎re they ours, Tom?鈥
His reply was:
鈥淚 don鈥檛 know, fetch my bike and I鈥檒l find out!鈥
As a very well known wartime comedian would say 鈥 鈥淎ye, aye 鈥 that鈥檚 yer lot!鈥
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