Dogfight

I lived opposite the football ground in St Chads Road in Tilbury. At the beginning of the war we saw an airplane — a dogfight coming towards the house. We didn’t know if it was a bomber plane. My mum and sister were in the shelter. The plane diverted over the house and crashed into a field. It saved her life by turning at the last minute and going into the field. It was blown to pieces — the cat hid behind the settee! Think the plane was Czech or Polish.

Tilbury was bombed one night and the docks were alight. The next morning dad said ‘we are taking you away’. We walked to bus with a case and met some mates going to Coventry who said ‘come with us’. But no and it was just as well as Coventry was badly bombed. I went to Bedford instead. We were in Bedford for five weeks and dad visited every week until we eventually came back.

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