大象传媒

鈥淭his story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by Terry Cleaver of 大象传媒 Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Mr Kenneth Metcalfe with his permission and they fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.鈥�

In 1939 I was ten years old and living in Sidcup. By 1943 I had a place at S.E.L Technology College and had to travel each day on two buses or a bus and a train with school bag, steel helmet and gas mask each way. Never once by car.

Thanks to the Internet a group of about twenty old school pals now meet up occasionally, after sixty years. We were students at the South East London Technical College from 1943 鈥� 1946.

We all have different memories of those far off days. 鈥榃ar time dinners鈥�, 鈥榯ime spent in the air raid shelter鈥�, 鈥榯he two masters who went out for lunch time for a brisk walk鈥�. Actually it was for a brisk half, but don鈥檛 tell the headmaster! While they were in the pub an unexploded bomb fell in the road that they had just walked down and it was closed by the police. They then got their long brisk walk via another route, back to school.
I recently learnt that three of my colleagues had been swimming in Laurie Green Baths, New Cross. When they came out all three went into Woolworth鈥檚 across the road. They were only about 300 yards away when a V2 rocket bomb blew Woolworth鈥檚 to little pieces, but they were unhurt.
We now know that another was on a 36 bus, even nearer. All the bus windows were blown out but he and his father were also unhurt.
My aunt was in Woolworth鈥檚 at that time and not so lucky. Her engagement ring, on a finger, was the only part of her body, ever found.
Also this year we are all seventy-six years old. Our 鈥渃lub鈥� meetings bring back many happy memories of our school days and interesting occupations and travel stories for the in-between years.

Kenneth Metcalfe

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