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I was nearly 10 when the war started and I lived at the top of First Avenue in Thurrock. During the war they (the Germans) were always trying to blow up Purfleet tanks. They were dropping sticks of bombs diagonally towards the fuel tanks and personnel bombs (butterfly bombs) were getting people in the pits. It was only because we lived higher than the puts otherwise it would all of been flattened.

I was in the garden, there was low cloud and I heard the drone of the plane. The plane went round over Bushy Bit school, to the far side of the factory when something fell out of the plane. I thought it was a 40 gallon drum bit it was a big bomb. It hit the tanks and they burnt for a week. The plane British Blenheim twin engine — he turned and followed up the estuary. For years when I told the story no one believed me. Later I found out that it was shot down. I thought it was a captured plane from France from the early part of the war.

I remember the ‘ack ack’ guns coming around the streets and a searchlight and emplacement on the allotments by Highcrest Road in West Thurrock.

We would stand in the garden watching the Battle of Britain — that was marvellous for us so young!

Come D-Day the A13 was jammed with vehicles — we used to get food from the Americans who had everything.

My dad worked on Montgomery’s Farm (Lakeside) we all used to go pea picking at 6 a.m. in the morning and then go to school.

I was attached to the Essex Regiment in the Cadets. We went on manoeuvres firing 303’s and stein guns on Rainham Marshes. We went on army camp at Colchester and thought we were going to get sent over but the war turned and we didn’t have to go. (We were 16)

We had a shelter in the garden with bunks in for me, my brother, mum and dad. In the winter the condensation would run down the sides. We would wait for the all clear and look for the flag flyer on top of the tunnel sylo.

When we went to school, there weren’t many teachers. We spent most of our time in the Kale field (now Thurrock football club field) growing veg and looking after goats and rabbits at Bushy Bit school.

I remember Belmont Castle getting bombed. All of us mates sped there and got there really early. A pilot was in the tree and parts of a pilot was all over the place. We were shooed away!

I remember we would cycle from Tilbury to Purfleet. By the time I got to work I was covered in dust from the factories letting out the chimneys at night — cement dust.

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