大象传媒

I am now 73 but still clearly remember the start of World War Two in September 1939.
As youngsters on our way up Albert Street to the Baptist Sunday School we agreed that if anyone asked us for street directions we would not tell them as they were probably spies.
At the time I was attending Elborow School for Boys (1937-1941) and at the start of the war I was not allowed to attend school for 6 weeks as I did not live within 5 minutes walking (not running) distance of the school. This was an official declaration as in the event of an air raid I would not be able to reach home before the bombs started dropping!
I was then able to attend school again as school air raid shelters had been constructed alongside the "Black Path" joining the end of Hill Street to York Street. Each time the Air Raid Warning was sounded the whole school was marched to the Air Raid Shelters. Once there the Headmaster- Mr Harvey- conducted spelling bees. Whether this was to continue our education or to take our minds off what was happening outside I am not sure. We each had to select a word and challenge another pupil to spell it. If they failed you had to spell yourself- my favourite challenge was the word MISSISSIPPI.
During the major Air Raid on Coventry in November 1940 we spent the whole night in the Anderson Shelter in our back garden, as we did on other nights. On leaving the shelter we could see the reflection of the fires on the night sky and also see the smoke from the fires.
The shelter regularly filled with water, even though later it had been concrete lined to a depth of 3 feet by the local council. One of my jobs was to keep it baled out.
Early 1940, or 1939 , we were asked- or told- by Mr Harvey to attend school on Saturday morning with our home made trollies. I remember it was a snowy morning and we were required to fill sandbags and deliver one to each household in the area.This was so that the householder could smother any incendiary bomb dropped in their vicinity. Needless to say, after a few weeks of bad weather all the householder was left with was a heap of wet sand and a rotting sack outside their front door.
I also recall being in Rugby Junior Library very early on in the war when the air raid siren sounded. We were all ushered out by the staff and taken into the cellars of the stables opposite what is now Frank Ewington Electrical. I had just selected a book- "The Hand and the Glove"- but dumped it in the library on the way out. When the All Clear sounded I did not return to the Library but ran straight home to let my Mother know that I was safe- remember I was only 9 years old.
Other memories are of a day off school due to a bomb being dropped on a house in York Street, another day off school due to a delayed actionbomb near the BLack Path, ration books, sweet rationing and the blackout. Later seeing the Local Defence Volunteers- later the Home Guard- practising street fighting in the streets of Rugby.Brickbuilt shelters in the streets, fireguards, Saving campaigns, Salute the Soldier weeks, Spitfire weeks, the memories seem endless.

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