大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 war website by Katherine Shakespeare on behalf of Frederick Hodges and has been added to this site with his permission. Frederick Hodges fully understand the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

This is a story told to me by my brother who does not wish to be contacted. During late 1940 when Coventry was being bombed I was delivering newspapers in Bramble Street off Gulson road one morning after a raid. In the road stood a policeman who turned towards me and said, 鈥淲hat are you doing here?鈥� 鈥淒elivering my papers鈥�, I replied. He said 鈥淒idn鈥檛 you see the notice that this street is closed?鈥� 鈥淣o鈥� I simply said. He then gestured to his side and said, 鈥淐ome with me鈥�. He led me to a hole in the road by the pub. 鈥淒o you know what that is?鈥� he asked and I looked down and saw the fins of a bomb. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bomb,鈥� I said looking at him. 鈥淵es鈥� he said, 鈥淣ow clear off and don鈥檛 come down here again until the street is clear鈥� Needless to say I didn鈥檛 stray down that road again!
The pub mentioned is believed to be the 鈥淗are and Hounds鈥� which can still be found in the road after being rebuilt after the war.

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