大象传媒

My Brooks family: we lived at 18 The Green, East Acton, Mum (39), Beryl (13) Brian (me, 8) and Jasmine (3). My Dad, Sgt. Harry Brooks (40), was on Searchlights, part of Home Defence against Air Raids.

Mid-Febrary '44: It had been quietish for a night or two and, although dressed ready for the Anderson shelter in my siren suit, I was asleep on Mum鈥檚 bed in the back bedroom. I woke up being pulled from the bed by my sister Beryl. I was puzzled as the 鈥榖lack-out鈥� and curtains were gone from the window and I could see lots of criss-cross black lines against bright red flames. 鈥he noise of crackling, pops, bangs and a roaring sound followed by a 鈥榳hoosh cruummppp鈥� suddenly filled my ears. Someone was shouting at me from a long, long way away 鈥淲ake up 鈥�. come on 鈥�. hurry鈥︹�� Stumble down stairs - cold air on face outdoors 鈥� suddenly wide awake.

In the few yards to the shelter I took it all in, the searchlights, the exploding shells, the red clouds 鈥� the smell of smoke and burning 鈥� and a wall of fire on Long Drive (the street behind our house). And the noise 鈥� crack-crack-crump and spang-pertanggg of AA guns and rockets (on Wormwood Scrubs), aircraft engines, crackling roaring and bangs from the fire - and bells. I was pulled into the shelter entrance as Mum ran up with Jasmine, bag and blankets. As I looked back at Mum I saw it all again, reflected in our windows 鈥� bright flashes of shells, flames and sparks jumping up, lighting up clouds of smoke.

Mum scrambled in, nearly falling off the chair (our step down), and dragged the small home-made door shut. Our shelter was always cold and damp but the candle soon made it nicer. With Beryl on the back bunk I stayed down to help Mum settle Jasmine 鈥� or to be a nuisance, I forget which. I was told my job was to sit and guard the door. I was getting a lot of jobs in this war! It was very noisy outside and something rattled hard against the shelter front, which made Mum jump. When it was a noisy raid Mum often told us family stories in the shelter, funny things and about when Gran and Grandpa lived in Hammersmith. She stopped and started a few times, then said very firmly 鈥淪tay there, I鈥檒l just look outside鈥�. It wasn鈥檛 the usual quick run to the bathroom this time, she just crouched by the shelter front, looking over the top and ducking when there was a bang.

Climbing back in and looking very worried, she said to Beryl 鈥淚t looks bad over where Gran and Grandpa live (Ames family at near by Taylors Green)鈥� Beryl immediately started crying with a loud whining noise. I thought I had better join in so I started crying, too. 鈥淪top that!鈥� Mum said very fiercely, so I stopped. After all, I was only being sociable. Of course, Beryl, being five years older than me, had a much better idea of what was happening outside and the possible bad things 鈥� to me it was all noise, excitement, and fireworks.

Mr Cuddiford, our ARP Warden, came to make sure we were all right. Next morning he came again, we had some ceilings down and broken windows and slates, which he reported. The factories and warehouses, behind Long Drive, had taken some direct hits and most had burnt down. One was a paint store, which must have burned very fiercely, another electric light bulbs, which must have been all the 鈥榩opping鈥� noises. The roofs of some houses opposite us on Long Drive were completely stripped of tiles by the explosions; I had seen the wooden roof ribs against the flames last night. There were burnt bits of stuff all over the gardens, and a strong smoky smell.

At Taylor鈥檚 Green, houses just yards away from Gran鈥檚 were very badly damaged. Cousin Adrienne (4) had seen the fires through the hall window and was worried about the nice dog that lived there. Aunty Glad said she was just putting Gran under the table when the ceiling fell on them. Gran wouldn鈥檛 have a shelter because it would fill her tiny garden, and also refused an indoor (Morrison) shelter. It was shelter under the stairs or table for them.

Most ceilings were down and many windows broken in Gran鈥檚 house, so Aunty Glad packed her and Adrienne off to Aunty Elsie in Llanelli (South Wales). Gran collapsed from shock. Wrapped in a red blanket she was taken to hospital, all her hair fell out. Adrienne was alone with strange people, but Cousin Norman comforted her with a cup of cocoa.

Later we followed to Aunt Elsie鈥檚 and stayed 鈥榚vacuated鈥� in Wales for over two months while our house was repaired. Although it was nice in the country it was always nice to come back home to our own patched house in battered East Acton, our very own smelly shelter and my friends at John Perryn School.

Postscript: My Mother鈥檚 Identity Card shows that we returned from Wales 20th May 鈥� just three weeks before the German V1 Flying Bombs attack started ...

Revised extract from 鈥楢 Sheltered Childhood ~ Wartime Family Memories of an East Acton Child鈥�

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.