大象传媒

My father was a lorry driver during the war ... and he drove a Leyland six-wheeler ... I think it was called a Retriever and was a flat-bed carrier.

One Friday afternoon, after loading the vehicle at the NAFFI stores in Derby, he was the last one to be loaded and the crew had thrown the stores on, sheeted and roped it.

By the time he had reached the village, the load was leaning at a very precarious angle. Only held on by the sheets and rope.

He went to get help from the local police man and Home Guard, ran the vehicle up a bank to help balance the load, and undid the ropes.

The lot came off.

Dried peas, porridge oats, eggs, chocolate, tins of fruit, flour had all shed all over the road.

The local children came from everywhere, having never seen chocolate and biscuits and fruit before. The kids had a feast and it took most of the day to reload the lorry with what was left - and make it secure.

We turned the eggs upside down so the people at RAF Cranwell couldn't tell they had been broken.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.