大象传媒

I was a student at the South Devon Technical College, Torquay from 1942 to 1946. We did games on Wednesday afternoons at Pennymoor playing field in the St. Marychurch area. Our class was divided into two groups and we played each other at rugby. In late 1943 or early 1944, about 1-30 p.m., three or four of us arrived at the field about 20 minutes before the lesson started. The field was flat and open with 2 or 3 pitches on it. There were no surrounding hedges or trees in the field to use for shelter; only a wooden changing room near the entrance. Whilst we were waiting outside the locked changing room, two ME 109 fighter bombers, flew very low towards us across the field firing cannons. We ran to the back of the shed for a little protection. The planes passed directly overhead and a few minutes later reappeared still firing guns and flew over the hut. We hastily ran to the opposite side of the building for shelter. No shells landed very close to us but we were scared stiff. When walking to Torre station after the lesson we could see some evidence of the attack. Some roads and walls were pitted with shell marks and plenty of broken glass and roof tiles littered the roads and pavements. I don't think there were any casualties, however. Even now, in 2004, about 60 years later, I can still see clearly in my mind the pilots in their grey planes displaying black crosses, flying towards me with cannons firing, and experience a strong sense of fear. We were fortunate to escape unharmed. The remainder of our class arrived soon after the planes had disappeared. Had the planes arrived 15 or 20 minutes later they would have been able to machine gun 30 or so teenage boys playing rugby. What a narrow escape!

Reported to me by Dennis Thyer

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