Born in an air raid
My name is Frank and I am Zoe’s grandfather. I was born in early 1944 in London, whilst the Second World War was still going on. I am told I was born under the kitchen table in my parents' house during an air-raid.
Where we lived was close to a major railway marshalling yard, so was a target for the German bombers.
I have an older sister, and we are both in the photo. It was decided that we should be evacuated away from London, and so we went to Wales. My father could not come with us since he was a train driver and was needed in London. He was also a member of the A R P (Air Raid Prevention) corps. In this role he not only helped people get ready for raids, by putting out all the lights and sending them to bomb shelters, but also dealt with the aftermath. One of his worst experiences was to go to a school where a number of children had been killed by a bomb.
I don’t remember much about Wales, but we went to a small coal mining village called Wrexham. We stayed with a coal miner's family. Walt was his name. Since we were too young to go to school we spent our days in the field with the other children and cows and chickens. My father would occasionally visit us and he learned to squat on the front step of the house like the miners.
We went back to London before the end of the war when it was not so dangerous. My parents kept in touch with the people in Wales for many years after the War.
Shared by Zoe Valentine
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