大象传媒

What I remember most is the total destruction of cities and starving chiildren, to whom we gave biscuits.

I spent 7 weeks training and them went to Europe. I was stationed in Belataberg, Germany in the mountains 30 miles outside Berlin. 1 Month in Belac.

The outbreak of war I had just left school and started my first job in the building trade. I joined the ARP service as a messenger. When I was old enough I joined the LDV Home Guard stationed in the Stockfield Road. I then went on army anti aircraft Cockshutt Hill Sheldon. We were over-manned so we came back to Stockfield Road. They had just bombed the Golden Eagle we were fire watching. We checked the nearby property Lyons tea room on the third floor we bought down a small churn of milk for the fireman and ARP personnel, we checked local properties. Then dawn broke so our job was finished we made our way along high street and in front of us we saw fur coats were strewn across the road. We collected them and put them on the London fur company floor. An then reported it to the police and made our way home to prepare for work. Then at my 18th birthday I volunteered to join the ray as my other 3 brothers were already in the services.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of William Hanson and has been added to the site with his permission. William Hanson fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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