大象传媒

This story is submitted by a volunteer on behalf of Radio Bristol Action Desk at City of Bristol College

We used to go to a shelter under the Brillos, a short name for the Netham. The funny thing was it was supposed to be a safe place but on top of the Netham was an RAF station with an Ack ack gun and Barage balloon. That was where we used to shelter. One night we were down there for thirteen hours that's where they bombed the middle of Bristol - all Castle street and Old Market. When we came out in the early hours of the morning I shall always remember the sky was one huge red glow.

The day that they went to bomb Filton, 150 German planes went overhead. A gentleman at the bottom of out street said "Oh my God they're heading for Filton" which was where they built the aircraft for our troops. He was right. So we (my sister, myself and my brother in a pram) ran to go to the shelter and as we were running to the shelter there was a German plane which came down and machine gunned my sister, myself and my brother and thankfully the bullets went straight over our heads and went all along the wall and smashed a huge plate glass window of a fish and chip shop. I think I was around about 12 years of age and I was petrified. The air raid warden always had the door open of the shelter and she always used to say to my Mother that Junie was always the first one in that shelter.

When I was 11 years old I was evacuated to Cornwall-Lostwiethell. We were taken by train which was one of the longest journeys I had done at that time. When we arrived in Cornwall we were taken to our billets. I was billeted with my brother and sister and 3 other familes in a big country house called Boconoc House. Which was owned by Lord and Lady Fortesskew. We were very well looked after. One night a German plane crashed over the back of the house which was very frightening. Since we have grown up we have been back there many times. One time they allowed us into the grounds and the Lord and Lady were coming out of hte church. They looked at us and wondered what we were doing there. After we explained that we were evacuees during the war the house was closed at that time and the Lord opened the house up for us to have a look around. Which I thought it was very good of him.
My brother ran away from the house and came home and as we were all homesick my Mother and Father came down and fetched us.

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