Growing up during the War in London.

I was living in Crayford.Kent when War was declared with my Father,Mother and two youngest brothers Jim and John. I was 7 years old. The following year my Father got sent to Hounslow to work in a munitions factory so we moved up to Hornsey North London.
We spent many nights down the Anderson shelter( we had a Morrison in doors ) but my Mum did not like staying in that,when the bombing got bad we would go to bed in the shelter and stay for the night
I remember the first night the V1 ( Doddlebugs ) came over.after one had dropped I ask my Father where the plane had gone,
. We found out next morning they were a new type of weapon.Later that morning I was in my bedroom when the siren went and my Mum was calling me to come down but I was busy watching this strange looking plane going by, So I saw one of the first Doddlebugs flying by. Then came the V2, not sure really what was worst waiting for the explosing after the engine cut out or the sudden explosion of the V2.
On the way to school we used to look for shapnel.
We played a lot in our road,there was very little traffic and the children used to play together and we had some great times.
Sometimes my brothers Jim & John and I were sent to Kempston. Bedford to stay with Grandparents, we did not like this much being away from home.On Sunday mornings we used to go to the church and follow the Soldiers has they march back to Kempston barrckes with a band.
We would get a bus to Cardington Airdrome to see the barrage balloons being up and sometimes we would go to Cranfield Airdrome for a bus ride. We had a lot of freedom.There were lots of different toops at Bedford and then the Americans came.
My Father used to lisen to the wireless every evening and I remember the battle for Monte Cassino but the one that really stood out in my mind was Arnhem. A reporter used to speak every night, I think he was Canadian and his name was Stanly Maxwell.
About 4 years ago I visited Monte Cassino with my youngest Daughter Jo and the Commonwealth War Cemetry, so many young lives.
My oldest brother Ron was in the 8th Hussars and went over a week after D Day so we were waiting for news of him every day, he went right through to Berlin and took part in the Victory Parade in front of Montgomery and Churchill
I was staying in Biggleswade with an Aunt and Cousin when V,E day was annouced and we tarvelled up to London. my Father, Mother and Brothers had gone to Bedford,
.My Aunt decide to take us up to London to join in the celebrations, we saw the Royal Family come out on to the balcony and spent the day going round to different places during the evening I begged my Aunt to go to the palace once more.
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we waited and saw thr Royal Family again but when we arrived at the Underground all the trains had stopped and there were no buses, So like many other people we made our way to Green Park and spent the night lying on the ground, there were lots of bonfires. We left early next morning and made our way home and went to bed,later that day we went back to Biggleswade.I returned to London in time for the street party in Boyton Road.
After that it was school for one more year then out to work ( I was amongst the last year to leave school at 14)

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