First Day Light Raid in Britain

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by CSV/BBC Radio Nottingham on behalf of Eileen Harris with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

I was seven, it was a beautiful hot day, we were coming out of school, my house was only a few yards away and I was walking with my best friend. I looked up into the sky and saw an aeroplane with a black cross on it — she said “is that a German?” I said to her “I don’t know, I think the war has started because my Dad’s gone”. She wanted to play Doctors and Nurses, I didn’t, I said “I don’t want to, I’ll see you after tea”. She went into her house and waved.
I went in our front room, my Mum asked me what I’d like for my tea, then we were blown right across the room. I remember kneeling down and taking glass out of mothers head. It had turned her hair white with dust. I remember all the curtains were flapping — the doors and windows were blown out.
I remember the noises. Mother was shaking, we looked across the road and all the houses had been flattened. They were after Vauxhall motors which were producing tanks (we found out after) they missed and hit our houses.
Her name was Sheila, she was blown to pieces and I never saw her again, my mother said “she’s gone to Jesus”.
It was in 1939 or 1940 — early in the war.
I went back to school, her desk was in front of me — mother said to be brave, I kept expecting that she’d walk in.

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