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When I was a little girl aged 8 1/2 , I lived at Angel Street in Shelton.

On one December night , 1940, I remember the xmas decorations shaking in our living room to a whistle of a bomb! That bomb dropped on our house.

I can not remember much more than that moment, only hiding under the kitchen table and a shouting from a warden asking my parents if we were alright. Our home was badly hit, and the next thing I remember was being covered in dust and soot from the chimney and debris, holding my mothers hand in the blackout, search lights and sirens going like mad. We we’re walking up the main road to Hanley, to try and get a bus, or a lift, to Longport to my Grandparents. My parents and myself stayed with them for ages until the corporation found us a house at Abbey Hulton.

I lived there until I was nearly 20, when I met and married a young man from Stone, where I have lived for the last 35 years — I am now 73yrs old. Sadly my husband John died 8 ½ years ago but that terrible December night stays with me, in my memory — but out of that awful night. I have happy memories of the 53 years of my happy married life here in Stone and my wonderful friends, 2 sons, 5 grand children and a great grandchild due shortly.

This poem was submitted to the People’s War site by Jim Salveson on behalf of its author Marion Buckley and has been added to the site with his / her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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