大象传媒

This story was written from a conversation with 74 year old Gerald Bradley who lived in Castledawson during the war....

Sometime in 1943 three of us young lads went into the local woods in Castledawson to collect some firewood.

Occasionally the soldiers would have been carrying out manoeuvres there.We heard an awful explosion and rushed to find my younger brother David bleeding . Apparently he must have picked up an explosive and not realising what it was, launched it at a tree. A piece of the exploding bark hit him around the eye.

We carried him to the edge of the woods and a passing horse and cart rushed him home.I have never seen a horse and cart travel so fast and remember the awful din of their hooves on the concrete.

David was lucky his injuries weren't fatal or that he didn't lose an eye although to this day he bears the scar.

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