The Story of a Seventeen Year Old

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Bill Ross of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Linda Williams, and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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MRS. LINDA MARGARET WILLIAMS FOR HER FATHER
KENNETH FENWICK AND FRIEND CLIFFORD DAVIS.

THE STORY OF A SEVENTEEN YEAR OLD.

At the age of seventeen my Dad (Ken Fenwick) with his friend Cliff Davis became ARP Wardens. For my Dad this meant doing a full shift at an Engineering Firm called Davy United coming home, having something to eat, catching a bit of sleep and then waiting for the sirens to go. He would then work all night, have some breakfast, get washed and get changed and go to work again.

They saw some horrific sights, pulling bodies out and sometimes only arms and legs. The worst night was the Sheffield Blitz. They worked all through the bombs dropping. One was dropped on his own house but he did not know this until he arrived home, but he was lucky, his family was safe.

One night instead of reporting in, he went for something to eat first. The ARP Wardens went to his house but as he had not been there, he was reported missing. When he arrived to get changed he received a good telling off.

He volunteered to join the RAF before he was eighteen.

PR-BR

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