大象传媒

At the start of the 2nd WOrld war I was 10 years old and evacuated to Ceddar in Somerset.Towards the end of 1940 a letter arrived informing me that a 500lb bomb had made a direct hit on my house,fortunately it did not explode,my parents who were in bed in the house at the time managed to avoid the 40ft hole in the floor , although my mother was hurt by the collapsing ceiling.The bomb was eventually steamed out,causing rust up to the picture rail,While the house was cordened off with a notice 'unexploded bomb' the looters went in and took everything that they could move !.
After my mother left hospital she collected my brother and I (we were not very well treated in Cheddar)and we went to Scotland to relatives.

We returned home in 1942 and I started work at 14 as my schooling was curtailed. I worked in a solicitors office in Pall MAll and walked through St James Park to the office.One day on my way back to the station the bridge in the park was roped off 'Unexploded Bomb'.It had fallen during the night - but I had walked over it in the morning.We worked all through the Doodle Bombs and rockets.

As we lived in East Ham High Street we were very aware of 'D-Day'as convoys went past day and night.The soldiers were tired,thirst and hungrey so Mum and I and some neighbours , some shopkeepers made sandwiches , cakes and threw packets into the lorries,also making tea in Jam Jars (One of the newspapers took photos - must be in the archives).We had a collecting box on top of 'our Bomb' casing to help with supplies

Edna Cornett nee Reid

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