大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War Site by Pat Oakley (volunteer) and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs. Leslie Oliver with her permission and she fully understands the sites terms and conditions

Story Title : A Hard Landing on Richmond Bridge

Your name in the story and full names of other people: Jenny Oliver (daughter-in-law)
Richard Oliver, Dad, Mrs Emily Oliver (mum), Older brothers Albert and Robert Oliver,

Location of story Twickenham, London.

Richard and Emily did not leave London during the war. The older boys were in the forces and lived to tell the tale. Dad worked in the docks. He survived the war but the frequent bombing is thought to have contributed to his deafness. His wife refused to go into air raid shelters even when the doodle bugs came, but hid under the table.

In 1944 Dick (Richard) was cycling over Richmond Bridge to get news of the latest invasion, when a doodle bug came over stopping just above the bridge. He stared at it and in his fright put his brakes on hard. He went over the top of his handle bars, landing hard on the floor and cutting his chin. Bike and Dick sat waiting on the floor but luckily the doodle bug caused very little damage to the bridge. Dick got up, checked his bike and went on to get news of the invasion. It was not until he got home that he realised how lucky he had been.

In an old ledger belonging to his dad he found orders for rabbits. His dad bred rabbits and would enter them in shows. He was often a judge with his wife Emily. During the war he bred extra rabbits to sell for eating. They cost one shilling and sixpence

Jenny Oliver

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