大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Bev Dann of the County Heritage Team on behalf of Mrs Doris Heath and has been added to the site with her permission. the author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was nineteen years old when war was declared on 3rd September and later on that day I was walking along the promenade with a friend when the siren sounded, we didn't know what to do or where to go! Lots of the local children were evacuated. My young brother went to Bromesgrove, which is near Birmingham; he was brought home post-haste when the Birmingham bombing began. I was working at the Royal Laundry in Spriteshall Lane from 8 a.m. - 6 p.m. and later on I did Fire Service Duty. One of the biggest bomb raids was in May 1940 - there was a great deal of damage in Maidstone Road and King Street and several people were killed, in fact I now live in one of those houses that was damaged! My first experience of a doodlebug happened when I was walking along Sea Road. At first I thought it was a plane and then there was this eerie silence. During the war many of the troups from all the services were billeted in Felixstowe. The flying boats, gunboats and torpedo boats were stationed at Felixstowe. I got married in June 1945 and my husband served int he R.A.F. during the war.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.