大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Stephan Butler at the Uckfield Community Learning Centre, a volunteer for 大象传媒 Southern Counties Radio on behalf of Beryl Simpson and has been added to the site with her permission. Beryl fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My first job after leaving secretarial college was as an Office Junior in Holburn in the City of London. I was paid 15 shillings a week, and found it difficult to make ends meet. My season ticket cost me 11 shillings, the remainder I gave to my mum towards housekeeping. Within a few weeks, I went out at lunchtime and got myself another job in Aldgate, which paid the princely sum of 25 shillings.

Dad had erected a purpose built air raid shelter in the garden. The shelter was the envy of the neighbours, as it was brick built and fully equipped with bunk beds, electric lights and a kettle. However for some reason unknown to me, during raids I slept in the house in a cupboard under the stairs on a shelf. The electric meter used to stick into my backside. Also stored in this cupboard on shelves above where I slept, were many bottles of alcohol. Dad wasn鈥檛 a drinker, but in the past he鈥檇 been given bottles of wine and whiskey as Christmas presents from business contacts.

During this time bombing was quite heavy. This particular night, I could hear the bombers getting closely. They seemed to always drop bombs in threes. The first of the bombs had dropped, the second one dropped nearer to me, and I waited with baited breath for the third bomb. Suddenly there was a violent explosion overhead. The house shook and bottles fell off the shelf. The bottles were smashing all around me. There was broken glass and alcohol flying everywhere. I particular remember this green liqueur dripping on me. I was so surprised to find that she was all in one piece.

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