My Wife's Grandmother

[beaupower32]

I got to talk to my wife's grandmother who was 8 living in london during the battle of Britain. I only got some of the stories cause her hubby was trying to talk to me at the same time about Obama. Anyways, I will write down here what she said and what I can remember.

She was 8 during the BoB time. She said she had a bomb come through her living room but didnt explode. Another time she had 3 in the back yard but also didnt explode. She went on to tell me that her sister had died in a bombing. She said the bomb shelters were built under the back yard, but were not really sturdy or well built. She mentioned doodlebugs, which i was thinking is the V-1 buzz bombs. I played a audio of it for her, and she said those were the doodle bugs that she was talking about. The closest one landed about 4 blocks away from her house. I hope some of this is intresting, as it was very intresting listening to her tell the stories.

 

[Vassili Zaitzev]

Interesting Beau, glad your grandmother made it out of the blitz alright, though sorry about her sister.

 

[jamierd]

the shelters were called Anderson shelters they came as a kit which you assembled yourself .I believe there may still be some left in out of the way places here in the uk

 

[jamierd]

found a picture of 1 under construction looks like everybody pitched in as they did in those days

 

[vikingBerserker]

That's very cool BP, you should rcord her as she is telling her stories.

 

[Airframes]

Nice account BP. Those Anderson shelters wouldn't, of course, protect against a direct or close hit, but were effective against blast and an even more frequent danger, the shrapnel from the AA barrage. I remember one in my Aunt's back garden, as a kid in the '50's. It's probably still there!

 

[beaupower32]

That's very cool BP, you should rcord her as she is telling her stories.

I will have to wait till next time, hopefully I can get it recorded before she is gone forever.

 

[Thorlifter]

Are those shelters just corrogated tin surrounded with dirt?

 

[RabidAlien]

Very interesting indeed, Beau! And definitely pick up a voice recorder (you can find them from $15-$20 if you get the tape variety, a decent digital will run ~$30), you'll cherish those memories when she's gone (many many years from now, Lord willing!)

 

[Aaron Brooks Wolters]

very interesting Beau! Thank you for sharing!

 

[wheelsup_cavu]

Thanks for sharing BP.


Wheels

 

[jamierd]

yes the anderson shelter was just wriggly tin with dirt on top it had to be dug into the ground then it was reccomended it had at least 18 inches of dirt on the top

 

[Shinpachi]

I will have to wait till next time, hopefully I can get it recorded before she is gone forever.

I think the Seventy two years old is still young.
A lady of the same age is daily working with me.
She talks to me about the air-raid by B-29s and later nice meeting with the allied forces soldiers as if that had happend just a few years ago

 

[GrauGeist]

I had the priveledge of having both my Great Grandmother and great Grandfather around when I was a youngster. The memories they shared with me reached back into the 1800's and I wish that I had the opportunity to write down (or record) those stories, but you just din't think about those things when you were a kid...

Glad you were able to get some recollections, BP...hopefully you'll be able to have a chance to sit down and have another chat with her.

 

[Vic Balshaw]

Great story Beau.
The un-exploding bombs would be quite normal, many of them were made under forced labour by victims of the Rich and many would take a great risk by doctoring the bombs in some way so that they were duds. It was also quite common for bombs not to explode on impact, the technology being quite crude in comparison to today. The real heroes were the men of the UXB in WWII who risked life to defuse them. Even today these bombs are still being found in England

 

[Guns'n'Props]

Great story Beau.
The un-exploding bombs would be quite normal, many of them were made under forced labour by victims of the Rich and many would take a great risk by doctoring the bombs in some way so that they were duds. It was also quite common for bombs not to explode on impact, the technology being quite crude in comparison to today. The real heroes were the men of the UXB in WWII who risked life to defuse them. Even today these bombs are still being found in England

I quite agree. About a week ago an 11 year old found a butterfly bomb (anti personnel) here in Malta GC. I also recall a 500kg dug up during some roadworks last year.