大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Janette Hill of Age Concern Shropshire, Telford and Wrekin on behalf of Maria Bailey, and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

At 14 I was sent by my mother to a farm near Shrewsbury. One evening a bomber flew over and we heard bangs - they were after the factories, but missed. Then the man there came home drunk and left the door open - he got blown out on the settee, his wife was in pieces and his two children killed.

Then I worked in factories in Shrewsbury for three years, as a milling operator making tanks. I did only nights, which meant free weekends, when I could go to my mother's in Montgomery. My digs were not very good, and at one, I even taught the landlady how to cook as she didn't know how! Another digs was okay at first, but then there were lots of fights and I was hit by glass, needing hospital treatment. But I did eventually find a good place.

I then left to go to Kenilworth to care for dogs. A lady took me upstairs one night to watch the bombing of Coventry, which was a terrible mess the next day.

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