Close Call

My grandad worked in a factory in Loughborough during the war and was the firewarden in the factory. He had to make sure all the windows and doors were blacked out and then had to go on the roof to keep a look out for incendiaries. One night he and another firewarden were checking the blackout and had to go downstairs to pull the switch in the cellar to turn the factory lights off and this night the sirens had gone and the lights were still not off and the other firewarden in the factory was supposed to switch the lights off and my grandad went down to see why the lights weren't off. When he got down there there was a group of men including the other firewarden standing staring at the switch. My grandad asked why the switch hadn't been thrown when the other firewarden answered "Len[grandad] if you want to throw that switch go ahead and do it" my grandad went to put his hand on the switch and jumped back because on the switch was a huge rat and none of the men would go near it. They were getting in a panic because the planes would be overhead at any minute. One of the men said "i know, wont be a few minutes." and dashed out of the factory he came back a matter of minutes later with an old man who lived next to the factory and his Jack Russell terrier. The old chap said "when i chuck the dog in shut the door" which they did. There was such a commotion of screaming and screaching and then it went quiet. The old chap opened the door and the dog ran out. The group of men went in the room, saw the rat dead and pulled the switch fast just before the planes went over. This may not seem like much of a war story but it made me laugh wehn my mum told me.

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