大象传媒

I used to live at Stanton by Bridge, a shell landed about five feet from where I stood,I dug it up and still have it today.I use it as a door stop.
When I was about nine or ten I lived where boundary garage used to be at Woodville.I used to walk to the village school at Smisby every day with my Sister and some school chums.One very foggy day we were walking to school when we heard a droning sound and right above our heads was a German bomber being chased by one of our spitfires.The Bomber had been on a raid over Coventry and dropped his last bomb in Melbourne pool.The Spitfire shot him down over Piston Hills at Ticknall.I sent my Sister on to school,but me and my chums ran to where the plane had come down,looking for souvenirs.We managed to get some shrapnel,but the plane had really blown up.
During my school years some of us had to work on some days for local farmers.They said it was for the war effort.We did all sorts of jobs,potatoe picking,stone picking.There were some German POW,s on this farm and I remember one whose name was Hans Heinerman.He made toys out of horse chestnut wood,and cigarette lighters out of bullet cases.He also taught me a few words of German.
We had to go to school in shifts,nine until twelve thirty,or twelve thirty until four.This was because of all the evacuees that had come to live in our area,so there were too many children for the classes.
Behind our school at Smisby there was a farmers field,but it was commandered for the war effort,and divided into allotments.We kids used to get our Mums to buy seed,which we would plant and grow,and then allowed to keep the produce.
One day we were in the playground and the Teacher told us there was a 'Mock raid'in the village.The soldiers used blanks in their rifles,but one of them fired by accident and shot the soldier in front of him in the backside.There was a real shindig over it.
The Yanks who were stationed in the area travelled past a pub near where me and my family lived.It was called The Red Lion,and had a big car park at the side.They used to stop there,so me and my little Sister would wait for them,and they would give us Chocolate,Chewing gum,and tins of Bacon and Sausage.She was a very pretty girl with blond curls,so she always got more than me.
It,s funny the things that stick in your mind.
These stories were told to Volunteer Kathy Brady and recorded with John,s permission.

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