大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Jane Chanter on behalf of Mr R.A. Meaker. The story has been added to the site with his permission and Mr Meaker fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I was 11 years old during the Devonport Blitz and lived in Edinburgh Road Devonport. My family had the use of a surface brick shelter in a neighbour's back yard. Mother was a street firefighter and her job when the wardens blew a whistle was to go out into the streets to find and put out any incendary bombs.

When she heard the whistle Mum would put on her civilian tin hat, which was pretty useless as it was made of thin steel, and out into the street she would go. On her return we would ask her how many and she would tell us if she had found any and how she would have dealt with them.

One night the whistles sounded and Mum went off out as usual but she was back in seconds. "What's the matter?" asked Gran, "Not going out there" said Mum. "Why not?" asked Gran. "Because there is a drunk sailor out there" answered Mum. She didn't mind the bombs and fires and all the things that happened in an air raid, but a drunk sailor was a bit too much.

This is one of my memories of the war as a young boy and I hope you find it as funny as my family did on the night it happened.

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