大象传媒

Mrs Rita Hopley's story was collected by People's War volunteer, Linda Graham of 大象传媒 NI:

I lived in Wheatfield Crescent during the Blitz when the planes came over Ligoniel.

Mr Moffatt, a policeman, lived next door. Two doors down the other way lived Mr Frizzell, also a policeman, and these two men kept an eye on the houses.

My father (Billy Black, who was a bookmaker) had a Club in Belfast - in Pottinger's Entry, called The Belfast and Counties Club - also known as the Black Club. Bombs fell and hit the walls on the opposite side of the narrow Pottinger's Entry to his Club.

I stayed in Carnlough near the beginning of the war, in a place called the Bridge Dining Rooms.

I moved to Bangor to live in my father's bungalow on the Brunswick Road. I met my husband, Jack Hopley, at a dance in the Flamingo in 1943 and we were married in 1944.

My father was taking staff home from his Club in Pottinger's Entry as bombs fell on High Street. He also undertook a shuttle service, carrying casualties to and from the hospital. His car was covered in blood.

Once, my father was returning from a hospital run, shortly after the Percy Street airraid shelter took a direct hit. A school friend, Martha Swann, and her family were in the shelter. Martha's sister - nicknamed Tootsie - left the rest of her family to go and fetch her coat, which she had only got new for Easter. When she arrived back at the shelter, it was flattened and the rest of her family were all dead.

HMS Belfast was at Pollock Dock for repairs and most people say that's what saved Belfast because the ship's guns were soon trained on the sky.

At the end of the war there were many celebrations for VE and also VJ Day in Bangor with lots of street parties.

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