大象传媒

Tex Smith鈥檚 War part 2 - The Air Raid Siren

"Time for bed Tex", said Mother and I climbed up the stairs to the back bedroom of the small terraced house in Redbourn Street. We were the last house at the bottom of the terrace and from the bedroom window I could see the air raid siren mounted on the roof of the Nautical School which fronted onto North Boulevard. I snuggled into the blankets as dad left the house to walk down Redbourn Street to the pub for his regular evening drink. Mum settle down in front of the fire to read the Hull Daily Mail. About half an hour later dad's footsteps were heard coming back down the street. "It's no good kitty" said dad, "I just can't concentrate tonight and even the Hull Brewery mild doesn't taste right".

At 10 p.m. the air raid siren began to let out its ominous wailing and mum woke me up to take me into the cupboard under the stairs.

Dad sat down on the couch as mum and I crouched, shivering with fear, beneath the stairs. A few minutes later we could hear the drone of the German aircraft overhead as they searched for the railway lines on Jackson Street and Goulton Street areas, between Hessle Road and the River Humber.

Suddenly there was a huge crashing and roaring noise and the house vibrated.
Mum and I screamed in terror as Dad called us out of the cupboard. "Quick! We must get out!" said dad, "I am sure a bomb has dropped either on the school roof or on St Wilfred's Church its self鈥�.

Our house had been seriously damaged; the front windows had gone and also the front door was hanging off its hinges. In the terrace concerned neighbours were inspecting the damage to our house, and the house opposite, which were the two main casualties in our terrace.

Dad and mam quickly gathered a few items of clothing into a suitcase after the air raid warden told them that our house was unsafe and we should seek shelter with relatives. I was put into my siren suit and mum and dad told me we would be going to dad's mother's house in Ringrose Street, down Hawthorn Avenue, which was about 20 minutes walk away. As we came out of the darkened terrace our neighbours told us that St Wilfred's Church had received a direct hit and was virtually in ruins, as was the Church Hall adjoining it.

Acrid smoke hung everywhere and men, women and children hurried by intent either on escaping or trying to see for themselves the extent of the damage and devastation. We set off on foot turning left into Gordon Street and policemen were busy setting off in all directions to try to assist those unfortunate people who were now victims of the bombing.

It was dark and cold and it seemed to me as I was carried along in dad's comforting arms. After all I was only three years and three months old and perhaps fittingly as it was now past midnight it was April 1, 1941 and April fools day.

We walked on across St George's Road junction with its huge church on the corner and dad was telling mum what a narrow escape we had had. Soon we reached Hawthorn Avenue and turned right walking by the Shipphams factory building and across the railway level crossing. On we walked past the Cooperative, Greek Street, Clyde Street and then turned left into Ringrose Street, past the darkened cycle shop.

The bakery factory of Ernest Ostler came into view as it was next to granny Rome's house. A few more steps passed the sweetshop, owned by the two fascinating Miss Sheerds, and we had arrived at grannies front door.

It was very silent and a very dark and across the road in the darkness I could see the shadows of the children's swings in the children's playground. Dad knocked on his mother's front door, Tom Smith Dan's stepfather since 1918 opened the door.

"Hallo pop, it's Bill, Kitty and Tex here, we've been bombed out of Redbourn Street, can you put us up for a night or two until I can see to Kitty and Tex being evacuated?鈥�

All three of us were hurriedly taken into Ringrose Street to meet Granny Florrie and Frank and Nancy their son and daughter.

Thus I experienced my earliest memory of being a world War two bombed out statistic!
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Added by: Alan Brigham www.hullwebs.co.uk

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