大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Simon Harris and has been added to the website on behalf of Marion Boxall with her permission and they fully understand the site's terms and conditions.

On 13th September 1940 I went to Ashford station and off we went on a long, long trip to Wales. Later that day another train left the same station and a bomb was dropped just behind it. When I arrived in Wales it was very much quieter although we could hear the bombing on Cardiff and Swansea, and the planes could come over our valley to turn round. Nothing was dropped there though.

One day that I remember vividly is 25th March 1943 when my foster father drew my attention to an article in the Daily Chronicle. The headline referred to a South Coast town although when I read it I knew instantly that it was Ashford. It described how a petrol station, bakery, railway works and a school had all been blown up. At the school 250 pupils including my younger sister had managed to get to the shelter in time. My knees went to jelly. The family did not understand how I knew but I just did, and I was right. My foster mother took me to the phone box and sent a telegram home.

The next day an answer lay on the mat. I had been worried that my own telegram had been returned but in fact all was well. My family were safe and I could continue to enjoy the beautiful countryside around me.

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