Dad's 'radar'

My father, James William Laverick, was in a reserved occupation working in the shipyards in Sunderland. As such he was not called up but did join the Home Guard. On those nights he was at home he used to be able to hear enemy planes coming over the North Sea long before any sirens went off. He said German planes sounded different to our own so he knew which was which. As soon as he thought he heard them he'd stand on the dressing table with his head out of the window, listening. Once he was sure it was them he'd say to my mum "Get the baby (that was me), it's them. Quick, down to the shelter." Needless to say we were always the first in the shelter and other families could never understand how we managed it.

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