大象传媒

German Parachutist in Convent School Grotto

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I was 11 in 1941 and at Combe Bank Convent School, Sundridge during the Battle of Britain. A stick of bombs (3) landed alongside the school. Us juniors were underground where we slept during the raids with our siren suits on.

There was a terrific explosion and the glass of milk I was holding shot out of my hand. A nun appeared in the doorway and said. 鈥淐hildren, it鈥檚 quite all right. It鈥檚 only the seniors moving their chairs in the dining hall after supper. We believed this until we saw the crater next morning. I carry a piece of the bomb with me as a lucky charm to this day.

A German fighter pilot parachuted and managed to hide in caves in the school grounds for three days. We never saw him before he was taken away.

Meadfoot beach was the only beach open during the war in Torquay, where we were evacuated to from Sundridge. We swam there twice a week. One afternoon we were standing in the water I remember looking towards Brixham harbour and I saw two black objects falling from the sky. Two RAF servicemen shouted at us to 鈥渓ie down girls鈥� and we did so automatically as two aircraft flew at us low and machine-gunned us. I could see the face of one of the pilots. Everyone survived. The nun鈥檚 face was ashen. The newspapers reported that the aircraft were shot down.

During a night air raid the glass in our dormitory came in as the harbour was bombed yet again. A nun came in and said. 鈥淐hildren, kneel and pray.鈥� As I did so a very large piece of glass landed on my pillow where my head had been.

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