大象传媒

Even before the 鈥淒-Day鈥� landings of 1944 the allies had established total air supremacy over the skies of Europe and the danger of conventional air attack was all but gone. Throughout East Anglia were sited literally dozens of airfields hosting (mainly) USAAF bomber and fighter squadrons, and it was a common site to see groups of Boeing B 17 bombers forming into the squadrons making up the 鈥�1000鈥� bomber raids which were carrying the battle into the heart of Nazi Germany. The P 51 鈥淢ustangs鈥� from Leiston formed long-range escorts for the bombers, and carried auxiliary fuel tanks, which could be jettisoned when empty. (At the conclusion of the war one of these was found on Sizewell beach, and I remember that the local boys converted it into an unstable and highly dangerous kayak).

Facing this daily onslaught from the air the Nazis deployed their 鈥淰-Weapons鈥�, the V1 flying bomb, (鈥淒oodlebug鈥�) and the V2 rocket missile. Initially the attacks were directed at southern England from the Pas-de-Calais area of France, but as the allies advanced into Europe after D-Day, the launching sites were re-located in Holland so that East Anglia airfields became a target area, and V1s were frequently seen in our skies.

An Anti-Aircraft gun battery was quickly set up on Leiston Common, just a mile or so from where I lived. Flying at a constant course, altitude and speed the 鈥渄oodlebugs鈥� were easy pickings for the gunners, and defending RAF night fighter aircraft. Occasionally, of course, one did penetrate the defences, and mindful of the danger, my Father would make me use our 鈥淢orrison鈥� shelter. Later it was realised that the incoming missiles had sufficient range to take them at least a further 50 miles inland and so posed little danger to us. Even my cautious Father became quite blas茅, to the extent that on one night when Jean & I stood with him in our garden and watched a V1 fly overhead at about 500 feet high. (The V-weapons were almost a last throw of the dice by the Nazis, being essentially terror weapons of little strategic value. However they did carry a considerable explosive payload, and caused great damage and loss of life where they struck; and at the time there was no warning or possible defence against the V2 rockets).
Once the threat from the V weapons had passed the soldiers abandoned their camp on Leiston Common, leaving an assault-training course that was quickly adopted by the local children and added to twenty or so square mile 鈥減layground鈥� which we enjoyed. Children of later generations would find it hard to believe the degree of freedom that children had in those years; while deprived of conventional 鈥渉olidays鈥� we had learned to enjoy ourselves in other ways contributing to a very rich childhood.

My Father, a veteran of the First World War, was a loyal member of the local Home Guard Company, as had been my elder brothers until their turn for full time service had arrived. One day the Home Guard belied their 鈥淒ad鈥檚 Army鈥� image, by forming a guard on a Spitfire which had crash landed on a field at Crown Farm, (just outside Leiston on the Sizewell road) so promptly that they foiled the ambitions of a hoard of souvenir hunting small boys intent on descending on the wreck.

By spring 1945 I was in the 鈥渢op鈥� class of the Junior School, and able to read of, and understand more fully events of the final weeks of the war. All the children became excited, and sensed that the war in Europe was nearing its end- it came for us on the afternoon of Monday 7th May when the Headmistress came into our class with the news that hostilities had come to an end, and that we could all go home and have the tomorrow as a holiday. The official ending was declared on that day, Tuesday May 8th.

Some time later that week my Mother helped to organise a 鈥渟treet鈥� party for the children of King George's Avenue. It actually took place in a hut attached to the Fire Station where the Mothers somehow managed to put a fine spread on the table with little luxuries, which were not readily available on the meagre ration allowances. Later that week all the schools attended a thanksgiving service in Leiston Parish Church.

School lessons had continued almost without interruption throughout all these years, and it is to the credit of the elderly lady teachers of that generation that by the time they reached the last year at Junior School that nearly all pupils were ready to make a reasonable stab at the 鈥�11 plus鈥� examination which would determine their future school. Sadly there would be far more able pupils than places at the local Grammar School.

Just after my 11th birthday the war in the Far East was brought to an end when the nuclear weapons were used against the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. As ever the news was brought to us by the 大象传媒 news on the 鈥渨ireless鈥�. At the time I cheered, being two young to understand the underlying horror of the event.

Peace was finally declared on September 2nd.

And so it was all over. After exactly 6 years, the strange lifestyle, which I had come to accept as normal, came to an end. Eventually my Brothers returned home and our rather large family was restored to its rather small house- but there were still no toys in the shops, and sweet rationing was to remain for many a long day.

John Daniels, November 2005.

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