´óÏó´«Ã½

The following story was given by Sylvia Parkinson at the Dover Castle Party to commemorate the 60th Anniversary of the End of the War in Europe — 1945. Sylvia was 12 at the outset of war and lived in a village about 15 miles from Coventry. Her Father had a small farm, which was run with the help of 2 German and 2 Italian Prisoners of War, a Land Army Girl, and an elderly local gentleman.

When Coventry was bombed —any unused bombs were jettisoned over the fields at the back of the house and cowsheds. One night, about 10.30.p.m. in double summer time, so it was still light, the elderly gentleman had been mucking out the cowsheds. —There had been a lot of rain, so it was difficult to collect the swill, and it had to be put into buckets, and then into the barrow before taking it out to the much heap which was about a hundred yards away from the cowsheds. As he was pushing the barrow across the yard, he heard an airplane approaching —.and to his horror saw the bombs being dropped right in front of him. There was no shelter nearby, so the only thing he could do was throw himself down into the muck heap. The swill being so wet saved his life. — he was lucky to survive. Being so late in the evening there were no other farmworkers to give him assistance.

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