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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Three Counties Action on behalf of Cecil Allen and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

Like most veterans, I tend to look back on the lighter memories, which laughable now, were not necessarily so at the time.

My story concerns one particular evening in Ipswich- a town for which I hold many fond memories-and where I spent a large part of my service life.

I served abroad a minesweeping trawler based at Cliff Quay which entailed four days (and nights) ‘sweeping’ and patrolling that section of the North Sea Known as E-boat Alley, followed by four welcome days in harbour. On the evening in question, I had been dating a Wren from the Naval base, had returned her to her billet (which was a private house at that time) and was having a kiss and a cuddle and true to form, the local residents appeared in their doorways to see what was happening. The severity of an air raid in Ipswich seemed to be dependant on the duration between the alarm soundings and the all-clear. To my knowledge very little damage occurred as the enemy was bound foe one of our cities.

My Wren and I decided, however, that we had become too much in evidence so we said good-night and I set out to return to my ship. Cliff Quay in the pitch dark of wartime, was a dangerous place. Like all other docks it was covered with trailing wires and other debris, not to mention the large cranes and hoppers. One had to be very careful where one walked.

The ships, being relatively small, were berthed three abreast and in the event of action, only the guns from the ship furthest from the quay were ‘closed up’. During my slow progress along the quay, a German bomber flew over and our guns pointing over the quay. It seemed to me that if I had reached up I could have touched the missile, which was quite ridiculous. Without any thoughts other than self preservation, I took a flying leap into the nearest hopper. After a few moments of collective thoughts, I realised there was absolutely no way that I could get out unaided. It was quite a considerable time before I was able to attract attention to my plight. After being freed I was able to return to my ship, although badly shaken.

Incidentally, in the fullness of time, my Wren ‘date’ became my wife and to date we have enjoyed sixty-one years of happy marriage.

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