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My first experience of the Second World War

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Sieska Sun 22-Mar-26 15:24:27

I was born in Hull, on the east coast of England a scant two years before the war began. The city was very badly hit by German bombers. Our house was directly hit on two seperate occasions but before the second time, when we were finally bombed out, I almost got killed in a daytime air raid. I was still a baby and out with my mother, who was just nipping down to the local shop for something, and she carried me rather than be bothered with getting out the pram. Just as she came out of the shop with the bread or whatever, the air raid siren went and at once the bombs began to fall. Despite best efforts, the enemy planes often arrived ahead of the local sirens sounding, at least around the docks where we lived. She made a run for it to try to get home but bombs were falling all over the place. I was wrapped in my shawl as she ran. She made it - but when she unwrapped me in the house she found a huge chunk of jagged metal, still hot, smouldering in the shawl in front of my stomach. Why it had not gone straight through me remains a mystery. A woolly shawl is not a lot of protection against horizontally flying hot metal fragments. To her dying day my mother thought it was a miracle and I was being saved for something special. Whatever this was, it still does not seem to have arrived. Now I am 88 I am beginning to suspect that she got that part wrong.

Any other stories from that time?

[Posted by Kevin, Sieska's partner]

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LaCrepescule Sat 18-Apr-26 14:43:29

I have a different perspective. My mum was German and born in 1931 so was raised under Nazism. She was a member of the Bund Deutches Maedel and used to tell us stories of what fun she had. Also of sheltering in the cellar during the bombings of Frankfurt. Apparently they were all very happy when the Americans took over in 1945 - they were very friendly and gave them chocolate. She also said they had nice neat bums in their uniforms! When we came to live in England in the early 60s, my parents decided not to raise us as bi-lingual because of the negative attitudes.

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Hilltop Tue 12-May-26 19:53:07

People on this thread would like the programme "Children of the Blitz " on BBC 2 iplayer

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IWasFirstClarinet Wed 20-May-26 13:47:21

I thought about watching it but am still uncertain. I lived through the war in Hull, one of the badly hit seaports, and every one of my young friends was killed before I was four. Our house was bombed twice, the first time it was patched up and we carried on living in what was left of the downstairs with a sort of tarpaulin cover over the top. A few months later the house was bombed again and we were then "bombed-out". A mattress in a church hall awaited us.
I am not sure I am strong enough to relive the awful memories.
For those who were fortunate to miss out on those dreadful day, discovering what it was like back then, I can recommend the learning experience. Maybe I shall watch it. I would certainly like to do so - I think.

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dante656 Fri 22-May-26 12:38:38

That is an incredible story. The shawl stopping hot metal is wild. Your mother was right to call it a miracle. Whether it was for something special or just dumb luck, you are here at 88. That counts for something.

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yogitree Fri 22-May-26 12:58:18

My Dad was in the Palestine Mounted Police and both Grandads were in The Scottish Royal Dragoons. Myself, my cousins and cousins once removed all have been/are involved with the equestrian industry.

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