大象传媒

Can you imagine what it's like to be bombed out of your house and home? Can you imagine what it's like to have that happen to you five times?

I was nine in 1940, when it happened for the first time. Telling this story still brings tears to my eyes. I lived in Millwall, South London, on Stewart Street, with my five brothers and five sisters.

The first time, it was just absolutely terrible. It was night time. I was already awake when it happened -- they were bombing the docks. I saw the flames, I saw buildings falling. I don't remember there being an air raid shelter, so we simply went into the school at the bottom of the street for shelter. I think it was unusual not to have an air raid shelter. When we emerged, though, we realised that the house was destroyed -- it was blackened. We had no shoes, only dirty clothes. We just stayed together. The whole street, I seem to remember, had been bombed.

We went to live in another house somewhere -- I don't remember where. This one did have a shelter. But we were bombed again. It happened five times in all. But I do remember that one of them was a doctor's house, with a spiral staircase, and that was great fun to run around in. This one did have a shelter, beneath a big tree -- we put a rope on it, and played. And then, one day, a doodlebug came along and hit that tree, and then carried on and hit the pub! I don't know if anyone was hurt.

THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED TO THE SITE BY JOHN YOUNG OF 大象传媒 SOUTH EAST TODAY, ON BEHALF OF MRS JOAN EVERINGHAM. SHE UNDERSTANDS THE SITE'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS.

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