大象传媒

My dad was born in 1924 and lived in Winchester Street (silvertown). On the afternoon of the 7th September 1940 he was returning from Oriental Road Baths when the Blitz began... He managed to get to his house, which by this time was on fire as were a number of buildings around it. He told me that the heat was so intense that the windows of the house were smashing as he entered and left the house. He was only able to grab one photograph and the family dog before fleeing and the house was wiped out with all the family clothes, etc. etc. His dad was a fireman and he did not see him for three days because he was obviously on fire duty so he did not know if he was alive or what. His mum had died the previous December. He went to find his elder sister and younger brother and found them walking towards Canning Town where their other (elder) sister lived. Had he of gone to the church shelter, then he would not be here today as it was bombed and everyone was killed. He says it was very frightening and the next day the dog had to be put to sleep as it would not stop barking or shaking. He also said that the whole of the sky was bright red from the blazes which raged for days afterwards. He had also witnessed a huge great industrial boiler (some thirty feet in length and 10 - 15 feet round) flying through the air not far from his head. My grandad (my dad's dad) returned some three days later exhausted from constant work, but the spirit of the people was such that after refreshment (and hardly any rest) he was back out again. As for my dad, he had no home, just the same as everyone else - and had to stay with his sister until he could find lodgings of his own.

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