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1939-1940 (11 Years Old)
Living just outside Gloucester when war broke out. Innsworth Camp was being built - saw all Czechs, Belgians, Poles and French troops passing through from Dunkirk evacuation in to the camp, which is now the RAF Administration HQ.

1940-1941
Moved to Liverpool - lived in Victoria Hotel (opposite St George's Hall) and spent most nights under the Hall because of the bombing. Rented a house out at Litherland, bombing continuous, culminating in the 8 day blitz.

All schools were evacuated, my elder brother went to Formby (12 miles outside Liverpool) whilst I was sent to Wales, (Builth Wells). We were temporarily housed in a local landowner's house (Garth House) for a week. I went back to meet the people at the house in the 1990s whilst on a cycle holiday - they were delighted to see me.

Eventually I was housed at a Farm Cottage owned by the Glanne Wells and occupied by a farm worker and his wife, a Mr and Mrs Davies. I spent many happy days and months there, and after the war kept in contact with them and visited regularly, right up to Mrs Davies passing away in 2004.

Other memories are the South Wales Borderers’ Ack-Ack battery being on Bootle Golf Course, just half a mile away - they brought the guns out into the streets at night. Also, the Canadian Troops being in Builth Wells and going up to the Gun Range at Sennybridge.

One of our hobbies was collecting shrapnel and incendiary bomb fins and doing swaps after the bombing raids.

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