大象传媒

Worst Night Of My Life

I n 1942 I remember a bombing attack in the Centre of Leicester. It was either hosiery or boot factory, by the Centre Hotel area of 2005. I cannot remember which.

At that particular time of the year the bombing was the worst that we experienced, and my instincts told me it would not get any better.

We went down the Anderson Shelter as we always did, my Mother and I.. The Anderson Shelter was half way down our big garden. Most nights my Mother and I would not be alone in the Anderson Shelter, either the Air-Raid Wardens, Mr Cleaver, Mr. Sharpe.Or someone else, and/or one of these wardens would arrange to be with us.

That particular night we were on our own the entire night, one of which was the worst that we experienced ourselves. We had the bedding, candles, hot-drink that we did automatically on a regular basis.

We were not down the shelters long when the bombs came down, it seemed horrendous and frightening. It was so bad with the tremendous noise and explosions that my Mother put her fingers over my ears, as well as my own fingers. I really don鈥檛 know how my Mother could stand the overbearing noise.

When we came out of the shelter, I thought that we would not find our house standing. To my surprise it was still standing. A few days later we went into the City and we saw only a small amount of the factory still standing amidst the debris.
The Germans might have been aiming at the Railway Goods Depot at the back of the factory, but they missed, although they came close.

My Mother remarked a long time afterwards that the night watchman of the factory could not be found, his body could not be found, and not until his body was found, his widow was refused a pension. Sometimes whole bodies would have simply vanished or vaporised. Think how difficult that would have been for a poor widowed women.

This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of MISS BRAY and has been added to the site with HER permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

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