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I lived on Merry Vale Avenue in Hinckley, Leicestershire.
It was the bad night of the bombing — they had bombed Coventry and must have been coming back and had some bombs left.

For 12 months we didn't live there — there were 5 bombs in our street.
5 were killed.
I lived with my mum and dad.
The sirens went but them almost immediately the bombs dropped.
We went as soon as soon as we could to Westfield School shelters.
We then went to live with friends in Hinckley for the next year.
We only saved a few things.
It was our house — not a council house.
Three houses had direct hits.
My future husband lost 2 aunties and an uncle in the bombing in Merry Vale Avenue — they were in two of the houses that had the direct hits.

The shelter wasn't very nice and it was frightening.

Dad was a fire watch man so he wasn't there and was very worried about us.

I remember rationing.

I had just started work. I worked at James Bennett — they made underwear and I worked there during the war. I liked it there and it's still open now.

This story was submitted to the People's War Website by Lisa Reeves of CSV Action Desk Leicester on behalf of Jean Wills and has been added with her permission.
The author fully understands the sites terms and conditions

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