大象传媒

Whilst in the Millbay Road area during a 'Blitz Raid', the sheer lonliness in the midst of so much noise and violence, was awe inspiring. On one hand an indescribable spectacle of pyrotechnics, and on the other the realisation that somewhere close at hand, some innocent person would be slaughtered. As the sound of descending bombs reached me I 'sheltered' behind the thick granite wall of Millbay Docks, lying flat on the pavement, peering over the top when there appeared to be a lull. The whole area was illuminated like day from the many fires, and I remember looking across to Mount Edgecumbe and seeing all the trees festooned with fairy lights ( incendary bombs), and on looking up could distinctly see the markings on a German Bomber, illuminated by the fires, it seemed so low that I assumed it had been hit and was coming down, whether it did or not I do not know. Incendiaries that landed in open spaces were ignored, but on going into George Place I noticed a small flame coming from the roof of Stonehouse Town Hall. The front door was open, and as I entered I was joined by a young soldier, home on leave, a wooden ladder fixed to the wall led upwards to the roof space, and I climbed up and pushed the trap door open, it appeared to be only one incendiary bomb had penetrated the roof. I returned to ground level, and tried to work the small handpump alongside the ladder, but there was no water,water could only be used to contain the resulting fire. The incendiary being made of phosphorous would explode on contact with water and spread the fire. In the meantime my soldier companion had climbed into the roof space, he did not respond to my calls, and I again climbed to the roof space and called to him, but the whole roof space was now an inferno, and I no alternative but to leave the building. It was completely destroyed.
An unusual sequel to this particular incident occured many years later (probably about late 70's), I was sitting on a seat by the pool outside the Civic Center Building in Royal Parade. I struck up a conversation with an elderly gentleman who told me that he now lived in Nottingham, but he remembered Plymouth in the old days, having been employed in the Stonehouse Town Hall," In fact", he said " I was the last one to leave the building before it was destroyed", I was able to contradict him, and we were both amazed at the extraordinary co incidence.
A virtually direct hit on an 'Anderson Shelter' in Battery Street, close to Millbay Laundry was being dealt with by ARP personnel, and I gave what assistance I could. There were no survivors, fortuately other damaged houses in the area were unoccupied.
Normal beat patrolling was of course impossible during times of sustained air attack, and when the attacks were at their height, officers took what cover was possible in the vicinity of the station. The population left the city nightly, in droves many to walk as far as the moors. Very little transport was available, and it was a strange sight, to see women pushing prams containing very young children being sheperded along by fathers, and older people, in an attempt to achieve safety and survival.
It would be impossible to convey any other than a microcosm of events,but another incident occured in Millbay Docks just a short distance from the 'Antelope Inn' where large stacks of timber were burning in dockside sheds. The Fire Brigade were in attendance when a blast from an HE bomb, blew a fireman from the escape where he was directing jets into the flames. He was seriously injured and together with others we carried him on a door to the Royal Naval Hospital, approx half a mile. He died later.
Steps were taken as soon as possible after the Blitz in April to ensure that a water supply would be available in the future. At Stonehouse Bridge dams were built so that water remained in the lake at all times, when the tide went out. Cast iron pipes were laid throughout Stonehouse and city area, supplying huge static water tanks placed at strategic places.It proved to be, once again, that the stable door was bolted too late. No large scale air raids took place again. It was some time before services were restored and I obtained a large sqare biscuit tin, which we utilised as an oven, on the fire in the kitchen. I can't remember what we ate from it, but I suppose it must have been pasties.
1942- A fateful year. After the colossal effect of the massive air raids of 1941, nothing it seemed would ever be the same again. It seemed that the nadir had been successfully negotiated, and no matter how long it took a better and different life wouild eventually be achieved. The first exciting news to herald the new era was in the Spring, appropriately, that Marjorie was pregnant. Police duties returned to normal hours, three shifts of eight hours, with the usual crop of petty crimes and depressing sight of all the damage, where only superficial efforts had been made to tackle the huge problem.
Professor Abercrombie a renowned expert in Town Planning, had been engaged to work in conjunction with the City Engineer, Mr Paton Watson, to develop new plans for the city.
It was also announced that certain categories of men who had been in reserved occupations would be required to register for Military Service. Although expected this news cast a certain gloom in the Collingwood household.

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