大象传媒

As a 13 year old, listening to Mr Chamberlain 's eleven O'clock broadcast on September 3rd 1939, I could not comprehend why the adults looked so gloomy and worried . After all, this was the "big adventure", the one thing that could possibly disrupt school routine. Minutes later , a siren sounded .My father a police sergeant was on duty so my mother and I were alone. We rushed outside to be greeted by our neighbour who shouted "Oh my God they are here !!"

He and my father were in the process of digging a shelter in the garden, to be shared between the two families. It was then just a large trench , with no cover and with six inches of water in the bottom. Clutching our gas masks we obeyed orders and leapt down into this open grave, along with two other adults three children and their dog.

The neighbour a Mancunian, had fought in the First World War, so we bowed to his superior knowledge. So That , when he raised his head above the level of the ground ,sniffed the air and cried "Gas-put on your masks!" , we did so!

We stood there, feet and ankles wet , clothes covered in mud and mask visors steamed up, cold, terrified and waiting for the end. My "big adventure" had suddenly turned into a nightmare.

Then the all clear sounded and we slowly emerged. We were amazed to find that things were just as we had left them. But that false alarm had taught me that war was no joke and that life would never be the same again.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.