大象传媒

At the age of 12 years I lived with an Aunt Mrs. Alice Buss at 508, Commercial Road, Portsmouth. Also living with us was a cousin Evelyn who was engaged to be married. We lived in a top flat rented from a Mrs, Graham, an old lady who owned the premises. The flat was situated opposite Albion Street and this was where my friends and schoolmates lived. I attended Wellington Place School at that time. War had been declared, but as yet no bombing had taken place. It was a lovely sunny evening and for some reason I had decided to stay in. The sirens sounded and as usual I made my way down to the shelter in the garden. My aunt was washing the bedroom floor. Lino as we had no carpets in those days. I heard the noise of the bombers approaching and ran back to get my aunt.
She came down and as we reached the back door I noticed the cat was asleep on the wall. As we ran for the shelter I heard explosions. I saw the cat still in the sleeping position fly across the garden and as he reached the position where he would fall his legs straightend and he landed on all four legs. He then raced up the garden and I never saw him again. We stayed in the shelter until the all clear sounded, then went back upstairs to our flat. It was in a mess, with all windows smashed. The bedroom ceiling had come down onto the clean floor that my aunt had been so busy working on. Albion Street had taken a terrible pounding and most of the houses were down. I could hear screaming and was not allowed to go and see my friends. There were a number of vacant places at school upon my return.
We were then moved to a flat at Westminster Place, off Lake Road and one Saturday afternoon I decided to go to the cinema in Lake Road. On my way there I met a friend who convinced me that there was a better film at the Majestic in Kingston Road. Whilst watching the film the sirems went and after a while we were all ushered into a shelter. It was a heavy raid and after the 'All clear' I made my way home. On the way I was stopped by my Scoutmaster who asked if I was alright and if my house was alright. I told him that I had been to the Cinema, but things were as normal. As I got to the end of Westminster Place all I could see was piles of bricks. A rope was across the road and a Policeman was standing there. He tried to stop me getting to where I lived but I managed to evade him and eventuall found the shelter. A neighbour was in the shelter with her back to me and was on her knees. I spoke to her but she did not answer. I later learned that she was dead and had been looking after a neighbours baby and had cradled it with her back to the door taking the blast of the bomb in her back. I struggled with Police and ARP Wardens, but they took me into their post and someone gave me banana. I still had that in my hand when I was reunited with my father at midnight that day. My Aunt was badly injured and lost her hearing. The cinema in Lake Road that I was going to received a direct hit and a number of children were killed. Someone must have been looking after me that day.

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