大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Helen Rogers of the 大象传媒 in Newcastle on behalf of Ray Pope and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My name is William Raymond Pope. I have always been known by my middle name of Raymond (Ray). I was born on 24th June 1935. I lived at 9 Kimberly Gardens, Jesmond, Newcastle upon Tyne.

My first recollection before the war was starting infant school at Cragside, High Heaton. My eldest brother David went to this school and would take me there on the number 4 bus. I recall one day going to the school and finding the houses opposite had been heavily bombed. The school I think had been lightly damaged.

My father and uncle (my grandmother and uncle lived next door at number 7) dug and built the air raid shelter between our houses. The earth was removed and eventually placed on top of the corrugated iron sheets to form the roof. One day I was watching them digging. They, to me, seemed a long way down. The next thing I remember was lying on the kitchen table with many faces looking at me. I had fallen in and knocked myself out.

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