大象传媒

THIS STORY WAS SUBMITTED BY A VOLUNTEER ON BEHALF OF RADIO BRISTOL ACTION DESK AT CITY OF BRISTOL COLLEGE.

"I was just 11 when the war began, and I lived in Barton Hill with my family at the time. We had a shelter in the back garden that had a conjoining hatchway inside allowing us to share the space with our neighbors. As the Bristol bombings began, thousands of bombs were being dropped all around the house which was absolutely terrifying. I actually lost a school friend to the bombings, he had been sheltering in an old factory tip nearby and got caught in the destruction. Incendiary bombs were particularly nasty because they were full of Phosphorus which of course creates massive firey explosions. Special workmen were sent out with a bucket and scoop to clear up all the broken shells and debry they left behind.

"My Father in particular was very close to the action through his service in the Fire Brigade. On one very cold day he was working at the Bristol Docks and the water inside the fire hoses froze! Him and his collegues couldn't even move the escape ladder through the huge amount of icicles hanging from it!

"A particularly distressing period for me was being evacuated, when I was seperated from both my parents and my sister and sent to Devon for six months.
My new environment was very primative, I had to walk through a field to reach the outside toilet!
Rations were so tiny, it's odd to think about what we were expected to live on!There was no luxuries like fresh fruit, but when the Americans came to Britain they would hold little parties for all the children. It was so much fun, they would bring treats for us like tinned pineapple and chocolate! The girls especially loved the Americans because they would give them nylons to wear which the young ladies wouldn't normally have available.

"When I was 12 I was reunited with my family, although my schooling had been terribly disrupted. I attended Carlton Park School (which is now Speedwell Community College) and went on to take an exam in technical engineering.
It was a horrowing part of my life, but it's great that I can share these experiences."

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