- Contributed by听
- ritajoyce
- People in story:听
- doris jenner
- Location of story:听
- Lingfield, Surrey
- Article ID:听
- A2045558
- Contributed on:听
- 15 November 2003
This is Doris Jenner's story:
It was about 8.30 a.m. on 9th February, 1943 as my sister and I were walking through Lingfield village on our way to the station for a train to Oxted where we were pupils at Oxted County School. As we approached Lingfield village school, the siren sounded and, immediately, a German plane flew over dropping bombs as is did so. The village school received a direct hit killing five people who were already in the building. Other bombs fell in the direction of our home so, as soon as it was safe to do so, we returned home to see what had happened especially to know that mother was safe. I am pleased to say she was and because Dad had made wooden shutters to protect the windows, the damage to our house was minimal. However, we were soon visited by a warden who informed us that it was thought one of the bombs had not exploded so we must evacuate to an emergency centre in the village. During the afternoon we were allowed back home assuming all was safe.
(Incidentally, the offending bomb was eventually found in January 2002 very deep in a neighbour's garden were it was originally thought to have fallen. It was still "live" so, once again, we had to be temporarily evacuated until it was removed and detonated).
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