大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Clive Bishop of the CSV Action Desk, 大象传媒 Radio Newcastle on behalf of Maurice Egan and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My brother and I worked in a small family shipyard in Willington Quay, quite near my home. It was a quietish afternoon when daylight raids were not expected, when it suddenly happened.
It was the day the Germans came, not only one raider, there must have been dozens, well perhaps as many as 400. They were very noisy and filled the sky. I can鈥檛 remember whether the sirens warned us, I suppose they must have done. I just remember that my brother was very worried and was terrified that my mother wouldn鈥檛 hear them because she was almost stone deaf.

鈥淨uick.鈥� He said 鈥済et up home straight away and get my mother into the shelter before it鈥檚 too late鈥� we only lived about ten minutes away. I grabbed my coat and raced up the road as if the devils were after me. As I panted up the street I wondered if my mother would perhaps hear them and dive for the shelter, (with her shopping bag full of important documents which she always kept handy) but I seriously doubted it. This raid was a big one and I hoped the vibrations would be loud enough to warn her, still, time enough to worry about that when I got home.

I turned up the street to the back door and raced up the back stairs, the door was open and I gasped my way into the front room, my mother had heard the extraordinary commotion above her and was busy reaching for her bag. The terrific noise was totally consuming and I knew it was already too late to get any further than the bottom of the front stairs before the house might collapse around us. My mother was quaking with fear and, for once, could hear the tremendous roar as the massed planes passed menacingly above our heads.

We sat at the foot of the stairs, afraid to move any further to risk exposure in the open street, and I remember that the planes were being attacked by fighters, presumably from Acklington, nearby. I distinctly recollect one enemy plane, through the door fanlight, anxiously trying to gain height with smoke pouring from the rear, as it desperately strove to gain height over the sea.
The planes at last passed right over us and we were able to take shelter while they dropped their bombs further inland.

I shall never forget that moment of terror, or the look on my mother鈥檚 eyes as she realised the extreme danger she had just experienced.

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