大象传媒

I was born in 1931 and lived in South Norwood, SE25. I have many very vivid memories of happenings during the war years but two that really stand out are as follows:

I believe it was 1940 and I was 9; I was coming home from school for lunch and was with my 7 year old sister when the air raid siren sounded. We turned into our road which was a very long one, when a German plane dived down towards us and machine gunned us. I pulled my sister to the ground and lay there until the plane had gone. My mother, who had come to look for us, came running up the road. We were extremely lucky to be alive as the bullets from the plane had hit the garden wall at the side of us. I can still see to this day the pilot, with his goggles and flying helmet, in the cockpit of the plane as he dived towards us. He was not human to machine gun at little girls!

After ths episode our parents decided we should be evacuated. I remember being labelled with our names, gas masks around our necks, carrying a bag and being given a Union Jack to wave as we were put on the train in London. (We really didn't want to go, all we wanted was to be with our parents). After many hours we arrived at our destination which was Risley, Notts and taken to the Village Hall to be found lodgings. As there were three of us (all girls) and our mother had said we weren't to be split up we were the last 3 left in the hall - no one wanted 3 children. Finally my elder and younger sisters were found a home together and I was the last to go (on my own). That dreadful feeling of rejection still remains with me today.

Barbara Jean Simpson nee Boden
23 November 2005

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