大象传媒

It was the fourth year of the war. We had become used to sirens and bombsalong with separations and loss. We lived in a small village about three miles outside York. The railway sidings ran along the side of the village, it was the direct, main line out of York, so we were used to being out of bed most nights as the station and goods wagons were targets for bombers.We had an underground air raid shelter but I hated the creepy crawlies inside so I used to take my two girls both aged four, suitably dressed in siren suits and we would sit in the field at the back of the village pub my mother and i ran. My father was a railway signalman working twenty days out of twenty-one. In the war effort husbands and brothers were in the forces abrosd so we had to be self sufficient.
One particular night, which i always remember, was a thursday and we had, had a busy night in the pub, the customers were mostly servicemen and a few pensioners. We cleared up, washed glasses and ashtrays and put the stools and tables up ready for the cleaner next day then went to bed. My father was on night duty so my mother,sister,my two girls and me were left in the pub. After making sure the girls were all right I peeped through the black out blinds and saw the moon, we used to call it a bombers moon. It was like daylight outside. As I climbed into bed I thought to myself "I hope they dont come tonight, I'm tired out" I must have been tired because the next thing i new my mother was shaking me saying "wake up Kathleen, the sirens going" I quickley found my torch, hustled the girls into their suits and wellies, grabbed my slacks,jumper and coat and ran downstairs. We had the usual arguement about why i would not use the shelter but as usual I took the girls into the field, put a rug down under a hedge and we sat and watched the sky. The moon was full and we could see the German planes quite clearly, thier target was York station and we could see the flashes as the bombs struck and also fires breaking out and getting higher. The bombers then found the goods wagons along the sidings the searchlights were on and the Ack Ack guns fired full blast, the ground shuddered under us, the noise, the fires, the bombs and guns. With the moon and fires it was light enough to read a book. We knew this night they would not miss. Then the guns fired at a plane and it veered off course trailing smoke behind it we knew it was doomed.
In the meantime all along the sidings about half a mile from us bombs were exploding and wagons full of war essentials were bursting into flames and shattering into pieces. One of my daughters sat up and screamed " the hedge is on fire" there were flames roaring towards us. I grabbed the girls and we dashed into the middle of the field. I watched in dismay as the flames roared across the hedge, it was in direct line of one of the houses in the village. I knew if this caught fire the pub would be next and then perhaps half of the village. We were covered in smoke and bits of soot but suddenlyout of the smoke emerged four figures tottering towards us they were what we laughingly called "our firefighters" (nfs) when they were first formed, they consisted of about half a dozen pensioners. We used to say they had put paraffin on their firstfire to keep it going. They got the hoses on the burning hedge and soon half the village had come out of the shelters, mostly women and children and were busy giving unwanted advice and uncertain help, in the end our fire brigade put the fire out.
My mother then said " I'll open the bar and get you lads a drink" the lads gladly came in for a drink and so did a few of the women and their children. We made them tea and praised our heros. I put the girls, both with blackened faces and smelling of smoke, back to bed. I stood outside looking at the wreckage still smoking and the wagons on the sidings and I suddenly felt a rush of joy, I could have screamed with delight. "We are still alive" I shouted at the top of my voice just at that moment about 7am my father turned into the pub yard on his motor bike. As he took his helmet off I could see his tired face after a 12-hour shift. He smiled at me and said "rough night eh lass" I said "come on pa i'll get you a cuppa" and then the thought came to me "we also serve who stand and wait"
The next day we found out about the damage to the station and that our ancient clock on the church in coney street was gone.

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