大象传媒

I was born 2months before the war started. I remember the bombs coming down one night when I was 2years old when I woke up in my cot crying. My mother came to pick me up just as we heard the bombs screaming down she flung herself under the bed with her on top of me. I remember feeling stifled and seeing a brilliant blue light as the bomb exploded. A lone bomber had been hit and the bomb carriage had been shot away and all the bombs within had landed in our area.
Mum tried to open the bedroom door but there was too much rubble on the other side. My gran called out to my mum 'Gladys are you and the baby alright'? We managed to get out of the bedroom eventually but it was difficult to get down the stairs as they had come away from the wall.
When mum went back the following day to check on the damage she discovered that her bed was covered in glass where she should have been sleeping. The fireplace was now lying on top of my flattened cot where I had been.
It was also discovered that in the chaos someone had stolen my fathers' clothes, including his spare naval uniform while his ship was at sea.
The local authority promptly put me, mum and gran in requisition housing. I remember this as a very posh house complete with a non functioning telephone in Surbiton.
Mum and gran were digging the garden ready for the vegetable patch, I was playing nearby and looked up and saw the vapour trails from planes overhead in a dog fight.

Another memory is of mother and me in a grocery store. This particular store had a thick marble counter and stools for customers to sit on while there orders were being prepared. I was trying to get onto one of the stools as the shop keeper reached over suddenly, picked me up to my amazement and flung me under his side of the counter the counter as we heard the engine of a doodlebug go quiet.

Every day I would wait at the gate to meet the milkman with his horse and cart. I was only ever allowed out of the gate to stroke his horse. One particular day as I reached the gate there was a 'woomping' sound followed by a blast of hot air. The milkmans' horse bolted complete with cart behind him, milk churns flying everywhere and raining milk followed by the milkman running behind.

The most disappointing memory for me of VE Day was the local street party. Everybody had helped with the food, drink and entertainment. I had always been brought up to remember my manners. Because of this I missed out on the cake because I was too polite to ask!