大象传媒

I LIVED AT THE GREE FARM COTTAGES IN SMALL FARM CALLED REDLINGFIELD, NR EYE IN SUFFOLK.WITH ME LIVED MY HUSBAND AND MY DAUGHTER ANN AGED TWO AND HALF YEARS OLD.MY HUSBAND VICTOR WORKED THE HORSES ON THE FARM AND WAS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE HOME GUARD. I WAS A EXPECTING A SECOND CHILD NEAR CHRISTMAS AND WAS GETTING NEAR MY TIME.OUR HOUSE WAS DIRECT WITH THE FLIGHT PATH TAKEN BY THE BOMBERS AT THE NEARBY AIRFIELD AT HORHAM. WHERE WE WATCHED AS PLANES TOOK OFF LADEN WITH A FULL CARGO OF PETROL AND BOMBS.

ON THAT PARTICULAR MORNING WHICH WAS THE 19th OF NOVEMBER 1943 at 8:30 THE PLANES TOOK OFF AS USUAL .VICTOR HAD A FEELING THAT MORNING, THAT SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN BUT HE WENT OFF TO WORK AS USUAL.,AS THE PLANES ROARED OVERHEAD.ALL TOOK OFF UNTILL THE LAST ONE FOR SOME REASON DEVELOPED A FAULT, IT WAS FOUND OUT LATER THAT IT BANKED TOO SHARPLY.I REMEMBER THAT IT WAS A FROSTY MORNING AND VERY VERY COLD.THE PLANE CAME NOT VERY FAR FROM OUR HOUSE,I WAS THROWN ACROSS THE ROOM, THE CEILING CAME ON TOP OF US.AS LUCK WOULD HAVE IT BEAMS IN THE COTTAGE HELD.WINDOWS AND DOORS FELL IN AS PARTS OF TH E BURNING PLANE FELL AROUND.I PICKED UP (ANN )MY DAUGHTER AND PRAYED TO GOD TO HELP US.I WENT TO PUT HER IN A PRAM, BUT IT WAS FILLED WITH BROKEN GLASS SO I GRABBED A BLANKET AND WRAPPED HER UP AS BEST AS I COULD.I PULLED DOWN A DOOR CURTAIN TO HELP TO KEEP US WARM, AND WITH SOME METAL FELL LIKE RAIN. A NEIGHBOUR TOLD US TO GET BEHIND A MUCK HEAP, AND AS I COULD NOT STOOP DUE TO ME BEING PREGNANT I HAD TO HAVE HELP. AMERICAN AIRMEN WERE ON THE SCENE NOW AND WERE ABLE TO HELP ME.EVERYWHERE WAS VERY ICY AND SLIPPERY AND I WAS SHIELDED FROM THE BURNING FRAGMENTS FLYING AROUND., I FELT AS IF I WAS IN THE FRONT LINE.I WAS TAKEN BY AMBULANCE TO MY PARENTS HOME.POOR VICTOR WITNESSED ALL OF THIS AND THOUGHT WE MUST SURELY HAVE PERISHED. HE WAS VERY GLAD TO FIND US ALIVE.THE WHOLE CREW PERISHED IN THE CRASH UNFORTUNATELY ALL TEN OF THEM.WE STAYED WITH MY PARENTS UNTILL OUR SON WAS BORN, WHICH WAS 18th OF DECEMBER 1943, OUR HOME WAS DESTROYED BUT OUR LIVES SAVED. I RUBY GOODERHAM AM ON MY ONWN NOW, AND I AM 88yrs,HAVING LOST VICTOR IN JANURY 2001 AT TH AGE OF 86YRS.

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