First topic message reminder :As a result of the forces sweetheart celebration her 100th birthday I wondered how many forum members (especially senior citizens) have any events or true stories to tell relating to WW2.
So I'll start the ball rolling
I was born in 1939 in Sevenoaks, Kent so I suppose I am classed as a war baby. Due to the posting of military personal I did not see my Father for the first three years of my life, so I am told. My Mum and I lived at 3 Bosville Drive Sevenoaks
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] situated right in line between France and London, a target for heavy bombing
A lot of house owners had air raid shelters but we had nothing except our dining room table. Sometime in October 1942 all the street lights were switched off and a loud speaker van was touring the area to tell everybody to stay in their houses with no lights on, a very frightening experience. There were search lights scanning the sky, bangs and explosions in the distance and the eerie sounds of the sirens wailing and doodlebugs everywhere
It was pitch black everywhere but we could see by our candle light that it was 3.30am, I was cuddled in my Mum's arms and very frightened under the table when there was an almighty bang/explosion and if you click on the link you will see the windows and door that were blown in. The whole house shook
On peeping through a crack in the curtains we witnessed the military fire engines and ambulances arriving, the house opposite had been bombed and was a smouldering mass of rubble and the four occupants all perished
At day break my Mum and I hurried half a mile up the road to my Grandmothers house and witnessed debris everywhere on the road and gardens. My Grandmother was on her own because my Grandad was with the troops in Canada and was in hospital having had his left leg shot off below the knee
As we could not go back to our house my Mum and me were evacuated to Somerset and what I can remember most about that was the weekly single decker bus with wooden seats into Weston super mare complete with ration books
Eventually we returned to Sevenoaks where I started my schooling days