大象传媒

My War (1939-1945)

Chapter 1

When my war started I was only seven years old and was living at 29 Gloucester Street, Sheffield 10, now demolished, we children were very excited. Mind you the war was only going to last a few months, our superb army would soon have Jerry on the run. My dad bought a big map from Woolworths, of Europe, together with flags, Union Jacks for Great Britain, swastikas for Germany. This was duly installed on our dining room wall, we were going to watch our flags advance across Europe, as we pushed Hitler's mob back to Germany where they came from; they were fighting the British now, not the French an entirely different kettle of fish!
I clearly remember the first night of the war; we were warned that if enemy aircraft were approaching the sirens would sound. It was about 10.30. at night when I was awoken by the Banshee wailing of the sirens, of course I was in bed; I was only seven years old. I was allowed to get up, that was the first bonus. We all trooped down to next doors Anderson shelter; an Anderson shelter was made from U shaped pieces of galvanised iron; a hole was dug out about 8 ft. deep and 6 ft. wide, the U shaped pieces were bolted together and placed in the hole, the earth which had been removed was then replaced on top and that was that. In theory safe from any thing, except a direct hit by a bomb and I knew that would never happen and had no worries on that score, such was the confidence of youth.

Inside the shelter there were four bunk beds on which to sleep, there was only one problem, the. Shelters were made of iron and as the night wore on they became ringing wet with condensation, you would never die of thirst in an Anderson shelter, just lick the walls. Each morning the bedding had to be brought into the house to dry.

That first night was a beautiful clear moonlit night, not at all cold, the air raid lasted about half an hour and then the sirens for the all clear sounded, one continuous wail, of course it was a false alarm, the authorities were just trying it out. However, we kids thought it was great, it gave us something to talk about at school next day.

After the first excitement every thing settled down, Air Raid Wardens were introduced and the blackout started, no one was allowed to show even a chink of light or the dreaded "Put that Light Out!" was heard. What few cars there were, drove around with tin cowls over their Headlights. After dark we all wandered around carrying small torches; at that time most of the great cities suffered from periods of smog in the winter months, since every household burnt coal, including industry, of which Sheffield had plenty, we were the main steelworks of the country. When the smog came down at night, you literally could not see a hand in front of you, it was common practice to say "Good Night" to Post Boxes, mistaking them for policemen, at that time every street and road was patrolled by a policeman. Crime on the streets was comparatively rare. Young ladies went together at night to dances and never gave it a second thought; however, a young man would always escort his lady home. Mugging was unheard of, indeed the word had not even been invented, any murderers would have hanged; murders were few and far between, burglary occasionally happened but no one bothered much about locking their doors, quite often you could find a note on the door, the 鈥淜EY IS UNDER THE MAT鈥�

The A.R.P. Wardens were very keen on the blackout 鈥淧ut that light out!鈥� was their cry, if even a chink of light showed. Homeguard units were set up and went into training with broomsticks instead of rifles, there wasn't going to be a war according to the ex Prime Minister Mr. Chamberlain, so we were a bit short on items such as rifles, tanks and aircraft, not to say bullets. However, that didn't worry our Homeguard, any Britisher with a broomstick was more than a match for any Jerry parachuter with a rifle, just let them try it! We would all know if there was a parachute drop because all the church bells were going to ring.

As I mentioned earlier we had a map on our living room wall, this map was to depict the course of the war, I鈥檓 not sure at what stage of the war my Dad put this up but I presume it was just after the Germans invaded France, the Union Jacks were supposed to advance across the map, pushing the German swastikas before them, all the way back to Germany. Something was wrong! The Jerry swastikas were going the wrong way, we finished up with a load of swastika flags all along the coast of France facing England, that's when the map went in the bin. Even I began to wonder. However, we were assured by Mr. Churchill there was no need to worry, most of the German tanks showing on reconnaissance aerial photos, where cardboard cut outs. Germany would not be able to cross that strip of water, the English Channel. He omitted to tell us that the enemy had some really nasty battleships, one of which blew our pride and joy, H. M. S. Hood out of the water with one salvo, only three survivors were rescued. London and Coventry were very heavily bombed along with other major cities, Sheffield as a heavy producer of steel, essential to the war effort, was on borrowed time.

At one stage we were treated to an incendiary bomb attack, showers of these bombs were dropped but did not seem to do much damage. Our local shopkeeper Mr. Ward was very proud of the fact that he put out an incendiary bomb, which was burning on the pavement, by chucking a bag of sand upon it.

One winters evening my father shouted to us, 鈥淐ome and look at this!鈥� My mother and I trooped out into the back yard. The sky towards the North was filled with flickering white lights, like gigantic searchlights, the lights were rising and falling, 鈥淲hat is it? 鈥� I asked, 鈥淭he Aurora Borealis, the Northern Lights, all the way from the Arctic.鈥� Because there were no city lights it was clearly visible and very beautiful.

Wandering around our garden the following morning after Mr. Ward had put our his incendiary bomb, underneath a tree, I found a silver cylinder about 12 to 14 inches long or if you are the new generation, 30 to 36 centimeters in length. It's diameter was about three inches, you work that out! I picked it up and took it into the house, 鈥淒o you think this is a bomb?鈥� I asked my Mum. 鈥淣o I shouldn't think so.鈥� 鈥淲ell can I throw it at that old mirror in the garden?鈥� Brilliant idea! 鈥淣o you had better ask your Dad first, just in case,鈥� it never seemed to occur to my Mum to wonder as to how this peculiar object had found its way into the garden in the first place. My God. in retrospect she was so laid back.

Later on in the garden, under the same tree, I made my second discovery, a tin fin! I surmised that the tree branches must have knocked the fin off the bomb and since it did not land on it's nose, that was why it had not exploded. At that moment in time my brain seemed to be in gear. Back at the house my brain reverted to it鈥檚 usual state, the silver cylinder was still on the dining room table where I had left it! I proceeded to try and shove the fin first on one end and then the other, it was no good it wouldn't stay on. Shouting my mother from the kitchen, I told her what I thought it was, demonstrating how it might fit. 鈥淧erhaps you are right, you had better put it in the corner of the kitchen until your Dad comes home and don't throw it at that mirror, you wouldn't want it to go off.鈥�

Dad was none too pleased to find a live incendiary bomb standing in the kitchen, when he duly arrived home. He wasn鈥檛 much better, he walked into the Homeguard office and said to the Duty Officer, 鈥淟ook what my son found in the garden. Here catch鈥� 鈥淒on鈥檛!鈥� he yelled. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a bomb!鈥� The bomb was disarmed by an expert, dissected and used by the A. R .P. you for illustration purposes, such a pity they did not let me keep it!

As children we all had our collection of big pieces of metal shrapnel, these were jagged lumps of steel about six inches long (17 cm.). They were pieces of shells that were fired at the German planes flying over on their bombing raids. Hence the need to shelter when the air raid sirens went and for the Police, Wardens, Firemen and the Homeguard etc. to wear those dish shaped helmets which protected the head and neck.

One night I was awoken by a tremendous din, looking through the bedroom window I saw the sky alight with flashes blue and white; Sheffield was receiving it's first big air raid. I have never gone down a flight of stairs so fast! The bombs were falling around St. Phillips road area of Sheffield, which was about two miles from us. Next day I didn鈥檛 have to go to school, every cloud has a silver lining. There was one thing about being a child, one never worried once the danger was passed. The next day my Dad and I toured the areas looking at the damage and the rescue work that was going on.

Many streets were cordoned off; there were notices up saying "UNEXPLODED BOMB!" Once again my father did not seem to think it might be dangerous to go near, in this day and age I think I would have given it a wide birth.

Staying with us was a husband and wife who had evacuated from Manchester, to avoid the bombing, really not a very good choice, Sheffield, as a steel town we were bound to be high on Jerries list.

We used to listen occasionally to the propaganda broadcasts of 鈥淟ord Hoa Hoa鈥� the pet name for the English traitor William Joyce, he was eventually hanged for his treachery. We listened to one of his broadcasts which commenced 鈥淕ermany calling, Germany calling, you are on wheels Sheffield but be sure we will find you.鈥� I was told that false fires were lit to misguide the enemy aircraft and cause them to drop their bombs in open countryside.

The name of the couple staying with us was Mr. and Mrs. Steel; Mr. Steel was a very taciturn Russian who was trained as an engineer, Mrs. Steel was a Catholic and half Italian, not in her favour at the time, since we were fighting Italy as well as Germany.

At a house over the wall at the bottom of our garden, there was another lodger who occupied the attic bedroom on the top floor. One dark night we were amazed to see the attic window, which was only lightly curtained, had the bedroom light flashing on and off intermittently. The blackout as you can imagine was very strict. Yet here was this fool seemingly attracting attention from any passing aircraft. We were of course convinced that there was a spy in our midst. The police were duly called. I have no idea to this day what he was playing at or what happened to him but it did not occur again.

We often used to hear German aircraft flying over, all the children of my age knew what a Junka 88 sounded like, it had a slow distinctive Hum, Hum, sound, you listened and to a certain extent held your breath.

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