A Close Encounter

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Martin Hough a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Ken Clifford Bendall and has been added to the site with her permission. Ken Clifford Bendall fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I was about 6/7 years old and after breakfast I went out to play with a friend who lived down the road. As a child I had to go out via the back door, so I decided to go down the back alleys which was between two rows of houses. I arrived at my friend’s house, knocked on the back door and was puzzled when there was no response, but then a voice behind me boomed “what are you doing here?” I turned to see my friend’s next door neighbour who asked again “what are you doing here?” to which I replied “I’ve come to call for Sid” “how did you get here” she asked “down the back alleys” I replied “why what’s the matter?” I asked “can’t you see why?” she said “Look over there” I turned to my right, and saw below the living room window a large hole in the wall and the tail end of an unexploded bomb, “you’d better clear off” she said, “I’m here because Sid’s Mum is upstairs having a baby, the Doctors with her now, so go on clear off” she said. When I went back home I told mum who said “ no one had been to tell us” and on looking out of the front of the house we saw that the road had been cordoned off up to our next door neighbours.

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