大象传媒

Clapham Common, Battersea 1940鈥�

Born in the August of 1938 I was 1 year old when WWII started. Mum, Dad and I lived in Battersea, between Clapham Common and Lavender hill, about a mile from Clapham Junction.
My very first recollection at about 2 years old is of a night in the air raid shelter in our garden. Bombs were falling and an AA (anti aircraft) gun was firing very close by. It was clear to me that mum was frightened, I remember crying and mum started singing, a hymn I suspect. I have since learned that due to the shortage of AA guns in 1940, Churchill had them mounted on lorries so that they could move around and suggest we had more of them than we actually had! One of these had opened up a few feet from our shelter making quite an impact!
Soon after mum and I were evacuated to relatives in Hertfordshire, the village of Wiggington near Tring. I remember a cottage attic and mum writing letters by oil lamp to dad, now in the army.
Whilst here I remember seeing many canal boats and especially the Coronation Scott steam train on its daily journey between London and the North. I vividly recall the day Dad appeared in a jeep, on embarkation leave. I did not see dad again for five years.
We must have returned to London for a while since I remember enemy bombers coming over during the day, seeing aircraft on fire through the open door of the shelter and listening to shrapnel falling on the dustbin.
One day probably 1941, my aunt visited and during a daylight raid stood on the roof of the shelter cursing the enemy planes and crew and threatening extreme violence should they 鈥榗ome down here鈥�.
Soon after we were evacuated again to relatives in Dorset, a village called Melbourne Port, remaining there till early 1945. I recall my intense dislike of the countryside, especially cows and stinging nettles. I remember starting at the village school which had two rooms, one for 5-10 year olds and one for over 10s. One outstanding memory was of the DD invasion. As far as you could see the sky was full of aeroplanes towing gliders. One glider crashed nearby and we visited the crew.
We returned to London early 1945, in time for the V1 flying bombs (doodle bugs), one of which I saw and heard over Clapham Common. This threat did not last long and VE (Victory in Europe) day arrived with street parties. I remember mum being concerned about a very large bonfire just outside our front door.
My lasting memories are of waking up in the night when the air raid siren sounded, getting out of bed with my torch, some sweets and a toy, making sure everyone else was up and getting down to the shelter. I do not recall being frightened, to me this was 鈥渘ormal鈥�. However some habits remain and to this day I still carry a minimal 鈥榮urvival kit鈥� when out and about.
The house we lived in had two families. The family downstairs had two older children. The girl worked in the factory making lenses and the boy became a tail gunner in Lancaster bombers. He was killed in action and I found the telegram in the letter box and, not knowing what it was, gave it to his mum.
Clapham Common was the site of a major AA battery and after the war was a 鈥榩layground鈥� for us youngsters, as were the many bombsites and street shelters. Sweet rationing ended much later and not long after, the Eagle comic appeared. That really was progress!

Bob Beard

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