大象传媒

During the War I lived with my parents and four brothers on the Leigh Road in Hildenborough. I was the youngest of the family, aged nine. During school holidays I was told by my parents that I had to help with the Hop picking and I did this every day whatever the weather. One day while Hop picking with three friends I saw a German bomber flying over on fire. It crash landed in a field, three fields from us. The three of us ran across the fields to it. We were the first to get there just as the crew were crawling out. Their head and faces were bleeding and they threw themselves on the ground. Shortly after the Police arrived and chased us off. They said there were live bombs on board. When I got back to the Hop field I got a thrashing from my father across my legs with a Hop Bine for running off.

On another occasion, while at Sussex Road School, I saw a German bomber flying low over the school. It had come from the direction of the Railway Goods Yard and was being pursued and fired at by three Spitfires. My friends and I were standing in the Playground at the time and I remember all the children were ordered inside. Five or six of us did not go in immediately and were later told to go and see the Headmaster where we were given three strokes of the cane on each hand. I also remember seeing a spitfire do a victory role after bringing a bomber down.

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