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This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer on behalf of Sheila Townley and has been added to the site with her permission. Sheila Townley fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

"I was only 7 and a half when the war began in 1939, so I have few memories of that time. However there was one particular event that has stuck in my mind, which seems to become clearer everytime I recall it. It was 1942 and I was living in Wansworth, London. My father traded as a tobacconist during the war and so was kept busy through out the week. Shops were almost always open on a Sunday at that time because of the demands caused by rationing. However, one Sunday my mother refused to open and took us on a family outing to pick blackberries in the local fields. I can remember this being a treat at the time and couldn’t believe my luck.
It was about 4:00 in the afternoon, and we were stuck into picking the berries, when we heard a sound from the air. Slowly flying our way was a low flying aircraft that I recognized as being of German origin. I always wondered how I knew it was enemy aircraft at that age. My father used to talk to us about the types of aircraft used by the army; but I suppose we also picked these things up from all the combat news reels shown at the local cinema. The plane was grey and was very distinct against the sky. As soon as we realized what was happening it began shooting at us from the air, with rifle fire. At the time I didn’t realise the significance of the event; but it now seems unbelievable that such a bomber would target a mother and her two children who were innocently walking through a field. Initially we were motionless and then the plane circled and began another course of bombardment over our heads.
At this point my mother began shouting ‘Run, Run……..over to the elm tree’. We did as we were told and diligently ran towards a huge elm tree that was in the middle of the blackberry field. I didn’t feel frightened, I was just playing a game of ‘Race you to the Tree’. I was used to planes because I was always evacuated AFTER severe bouts of air raid activity! I found them terribly exciting and so to watch this lonely gunner from the shade of the elm branches was an adventure for me. When I returned home that evening, I was very excited about retelling the story to my Father.
Even now it is strange to think that I have been in the midst of such danger."

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