大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Charlotte Compton of Uckfield Community Learning Centre, a volunteer from 大象传媒 Southern Counties Radio on behalf of Anthony Compton and has been added to the site with his permission. Anthony Compton fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

In 1940 I was 6 years old and my brother Timothy was 5. My mother had 3 other younger children to look after with the help of a nanny which left us boys able to leave the air raid shelter during an air raid undetected. This was a great adventure to us both to see the dog fights overhead and aircraft being shot down, the German planes were heading for Portsmouth or Southampton. We used to go the sea front near the Marine hotel and we could see Portsmouth burning, being small we could also get through the barbed wire entanglement protecting the beach, until being warned off by the police or Home Guard. We both thought this was most exciting and did not think of any possible danger.

Another day playing in front of the garage during an air raid, looking up at the garage door we saw bullet holes, but as there was a lot of noise around we were not aware of when they were fired.

After a raid we would go out looking for shrapnel as one would go looking for mushrooms today, other times we might come across a crashed aircraft which interested us very much, until the Home Guard told us to go away in no uncertain terms.

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