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I was 6years old and my brothers were 9 and 12 years old, when the war started and we lived at Connaught Road.
In early 1940 a barrage balloon site was erected on the common next to Connaught Road and 2 Bren guns were placed on this site.
It now gives me great pleasure what my parents did for these Royal Air Force lads.
We had 2 allotments and kept hens and rabbits, as lads we became very friendly with the RAF chaps. My parents started to invite a couple of the lads to our house for supper and we used to play darts.
Then every Friday nights was bath night, we used to put wood and coal in the fire to get the water hot.
Three of the lads were: Jack came from Montrose in Scotland, Peter who was a painter and decorator and he lived in Liverpool. And the other lad, whose name I forgot lived in Sheffield (he was a weightlifter) and he used to pick us up on the palm of hands and bend 6’’ nails.
Along with other chaps, a rota system was set up in their barracks, for two to come along for Sunday Lunch.
When a RAF lad had the chance for 36 hour or 48 hour pass, the three lads had to sleep in one bed to make room for the RAF chap to sleep in the single bed.
We used to do messages for fish and chips to Parkes Fish and Chip Shop in Tarren St, of West Lane. These chips were for the RAF lads, so extra chips went into the newspaper.
After the war, Jack from Montrose met his wife and they came to stop at our home and my parents were invited to their wedding in Scotland.
When my mother passed away the friendship was still present and the gentleman and his wife attended the funeral.
3 bombs dropped on this common.

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