大象传媒

March 1939: I had my ninth birthday. We lived at West Wickham, Kent. During the summer months I remember my father and neighbours digging trenches in the woods at the bottom of our gardens. It must have been during August that my mother and father started to prepare our back room; the longe, as a gas proof room and where we could also live safely protected from the bombs. The French windows and doors leading to the garden were covered by sand bags outside and thick heavy curtains inside. The door from the hall into the lounge had a blanket (curtain) hanging on the hall side in a tin bath full of water. A wet blanket was supposed to stop the gas entering the room. In the room we had supplies of tinned food, blankets and clothes.
September 3rd 1939: I remember hearing the announcement that we were at war; my parents looked so worried. The first time the siren went we ran into our lounge and waited - waited and waited for the all clear. it was all a false alarm.
May 1940: My father was working in the Admiralty in Bath so he was exempt from National Service. my mother and I joined him. We lived in rooms in a big house in Chaucer Road. I went to South Tiverton School. One day walking home from school I saw an aircraft flying low towards me parallel to the road. It was only when I saw the black crosses on its wings as he flew over me that I realised it was a German. I rushed indoors and to my mothers horrer i hung out of the bathroom window to wacth the ensuing "Dog fight!"
We moved back to Orpington, Kent before Baths bad bombing. It was there that we found we were in "Doodle Bug Alley" and watched the Doodle Bugs go overhead and later fall nearer to London.
On the night the first Doodle Bug came over my mother called me to go downstairs into our "Morrison Shelter" as there were lawn mowers flying in the sky - at least, thats what it sounded like!

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