大象传媒

I remember a visit from my mother鈥檚(Margaret Whelan) younger brother, Tommy Burns. He and his wife, Olwyn had two lovely little girls, June and Margaret. He pleaded with my mum for her and her family to go to his house in Orrell, as he had an anderson shelter in the garden.
That evening I was going to the local dance in the church hall of St Joan of Arc, so I arranged to follow them later. A friend, Margaret McComish lived by my uncle, so I would be able to walk home with her. Later as we left the dance with the Gordon sisters the sirens started. They decided to go to an auntie鈥檚 house nearby in Bibby鈥檚 Lane. She had brought up the eldest sister鈥檚 husband as his parents had died. Little did we know then that they would all die in this raid.
I continued on and went to my Uncle Tommy鈥檚. We all stayed that night in the anderson shelter, but I was petrified and wished I was back home under our stairs.
The Following night there was another bad air raid. Auntie Olwyn and mum started to worry when Uncle Tommy, a fireman, didn鈥檛 come home. Finally there was a knock at the door. The firemen had been called out to a fire at Annie Road, Bootle. My Uncle Tommy and a police sergeant hadn鈥檛 heard warning cries about a landmine seen coming down nearby, the water pump was too noisy and both men died in the blast.

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