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This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Wendy Wood of Hastings Community Learning Centre, a volunteer from 大象传媒 Southern Counties Radio on behalf of Charles Banks and has been added to the site with his/her permission. Charles Banks fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

When WW2 started I was 26yrs of age. I was serving in the County Borough of Hastings Police. In the early stages of the war an extensive minefield was established in Ecclesbourne Glen and part of the East Hill Hastings. This minefield was totally enclosed with barbed wire and numerous warning notices were displayed about it.
An erratic man at that time was residing in a care home near the minefield. One day in response to an urgent telephone message from an anti-aircraft post near the minefield two Hastings police officers hurried to the danger spot. There they saw the mentally unbalances hermit had crawled through the barbed wire fencing and was walking about in the minefield. He was carrying a Bible in one hand. The two police officers, fearing a systematic explosion from the mines kept away at what was considered to be a safe distance 鈥� lying on the ground. They called out to the man, who was in imminent danger and finally persuaded him to crawl under the wire to safety.
His first words were 鈥淭hat just shows how the Bible can save you鈥�. I do not know what the police officers replied to this! The man was certified as being of unsound mind and was detained in a mental hospital.
A few days after this incident a Royal Engineers Captain found some reason for entering this minefield and was killed instantly in a subsequent explosion

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