Wartime Memories of a London Evacuee in Gloucestershire

I was born in London 6th September 1930 at 8 Woronzow Road, St John's Wood, NW8. My early WW2 memories were of my first hearing air raid sirens while I was in Regents Park, London. This was a Sunday morning, another vivid memory was coming home from school and seeing near my home a insenduary bomb (fire bomb) covered with sand bags and smouldering. It appeared it had been dealt with by the ARP (Air raid precaution warden). Another item was finding jagged metal lying under the walls, I guess this jagged metal was shrapnel from nearby a Acck (heavy guns) based at Primrose Hill. These guns were used against possible german bombers.
During air raids we slept under the staircase as it was the safest part of the house.

Approx 1940's we were evacuated to Kempsford, near Fairford, GLOS. My brother (Deceased) and I were billited with an Elderly Widdow - Mrs Beckingham, the cottage was a small cottage nearby the Public House - The Axe and Compass. Nearby was the small village school. School Master was a George Goodman, he was strict man for discipline (use of the cane). He was extremely good at reading to us, he brought the books to life! for example Treasure Island, etc. He was a Sergeant in the local Homeguard, he was known by the nickname of "Bullett Head".

We were living in blackout conditions ie. no street lighting. We regularly saw at night an old character known as "Fanny Lappington", who walked through the village swinging an oil lantern. She was well known to dress chickens for the oven, in her little cottage.

Another well known person in the village, regularly sold 'black market' slab fruit cake, we must remeber strict rationing was inforce at the time. The cakes were obtained from the nearby base (NAAFI vans).

Just a short distance from Fanny Lappington's cottage was the section know as "Top Road" (leading to Dunfield Village). Numerous Horsa gliders were parked nearby the Top Road. We regualrly scrambled through the low hedgerow and entered and sat in the Horsa gliders. The cockpits were lightweight just plywood etc. Security was virtually non-existent. Nearby (near Middle Farm) heavy Stirling bombers were strictly supervised.

Another "Game" we climbed tree near the Mere Top Road, Kempsford, to get as close to bombers and Horsa gliders taking off on a short runway Whelford to Kempsford. Bombers climbed with difficulty with their heavy loads.

During the preparation for Arnhem, gliders were towed and released in the Kempsford and Hannington areas. Bombers regularly flew near Hannington Bridge (Thames River) and they dangled their towropes near the road and released them into the field areas (Health & Safety factors were almost non-existent).

I was near the churchyard in Kempsford in 1944, a sunny afternoon when I observed a huge black/oil smoke (near the area known as Ham Hill a short distance from the Hannington dropping zone). Fire/Rescue crews were hampered by poor country track entrances etc. Subsequently a memorial placque was fixed near the Kepmsford church entrance (two Stirling bombers had colided, the two crews are fully listed ie. 12 crew members young men from Canada and Australia). A beautiful Cotswold church revealing the Horrors of Warfare.

From time to time while in the village (Mount Pleasant) large American ambulances trundled through from Down Ampney to Fairford (American Hospital). At Fairford (at a point near Fairford Railway Station G.W.R.) was a large dumping ground for American waste. Many children including myself scrambled through the "boxes" (timber, fruit, etc. etc.).
Tragically we were reminded of the terrible sufferings of the wartime, when we saw the evidence ie. the bloodstained bandages etc. The dump was a smouldering unhealthy spot, no secure fences were evident (Health and Safety non-existent).

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