大象传媒

Sunday 31st August 1940
The sirens went again at 1.50am - we'd only had 2 hours in bed. Sat round the table playing cards until the guns started. We all scrambled under the table. The all clear went at 2.30 a.m. and we rushed upstairs to bed. Dad fetched us up at 3.45 and immediately dived under the table. A slight lull and Dad made us cups of tea and joined us there. All quietened down so we crept upstairs to our beds -- Dad of course went downstairs when he heard the drone of the German planes and he watched the search lights sweeping the skies. As there was no gunfire, he let us sleep. None of us heard the all clear. Mollie and I slept until the sirens went at 8a.m.

Mum had prepared breakfast - all quiet - but didn't have time to finish before planes were over. Back under the table once more. Quite a lot of activity, but at last the all clear at 10 a.m. Sirens went at 10.05a.m. All very quiet so Dad unloaded 6 iron girders and carried them one by one on his shoulder into the garden. Dad's sure that these 6, when embedded in 14'' of concrete, will keep us safe in the dug-out - Hope he is right! I ventured out, but soon ran back when the guns opened fire. Heard a few bombs dropping far away but nothing much here. All clear at 11 o'clock.

An early lunch Mum decided, as we three would go shopping in Maidstone. Sirens sounded at 12.45p.m. 2 little girls knocked on our door and asked to come in whilst the raid was on - they could hear planes in the distance. No planes overhead or gunfire, so the little girls ran home when it was quieter. Soon after, planes were low overhead, heard bombs dropping - sounded like a plane crashing - not too far away. Quiet again and Dad came home. He had been to West Malling airport and had to run for cover in the woods when there was machine gunning. Dad saw 2 parachutes come down and 2 planes rushing very low towards our village. The all clear at 2.10p.m. When 3 friends came to help Dad with the roof of the dug-out, they told us that they had actually seen the Nazi plane skin over the Bull Hotel and it crashed on the hills.

We 3 caught the 3.20 train to Maidstone shopping. Called at Uncle Arthur's first, gave us some sweets, then up to Week Street. We walked slowly up to the West Station as we were in plenty of time to catch the 6.04p.m. home The siren went at 5.50 as we sat down on the seat to wait. The siren had not ended when there were hundreds of planes right overhead. We all rushed to the edge of the platform to have a look. Then there was a fairly loud bang and we all rushed into the waiting room and dived in a heap under the large table. RAF men and soldiers were putting on their tin helmets when there was a crash!!!!! The floor shook beneath us, my legs shook too. Glass and shrapnel were found on the platform. Everyone was scared stiff.

At last the train came in and we dived for it amidst the gunfire. We pulled down the blinds, but the man in the opposite corner looked out of the window the whole time. At last the train slowly moved out of the station. Before we reached Aylesford the train stopped. Up went our blinds - a parachute was floating down and a plane crashed, nose first, into the field next to the line. Eventually we arrived at our station but still the planes were overhead.

The all clear 7.15p.m. Dad came back from another call-out. Mollie hurried off to collect National Savings money and I did some sewing. I decided to have a bath - just got in when the siren sounded 9.40. I scuttled out as quickly as possible. We heard a few bangs but Mollie decided to have her bath. We were all so tired that we fell into bed before the all clear. Dad waited for the all clear at 11.46p.m. Mum, Mollie and I never even heard it!

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