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On the evening of 14 November 1940 my uncle Eric Aston and my grandfather Alfred stood on the back step of their home in Kelynmead Road, South Yardley as they had heard the drone of aircraft and guns opening up over head. In the breaks in the clouds they could see waves of aircraft coming from the south-west. Shrapnel was falling from the guns (which were situated at the bottom of Kelynmead Road on the site of what is now a social club). Coventry was only 12 miles ago (as the crow flies - Kelynmead Road is situated on a high-point) and from the front of the house thuds from bombs could be heard and what appeared to be Coventry, in the distance was ablaze with fire. After the all clear it went quiet and the planes must have gone a different way back. Whilst my Uncle and Grandfather stood on the outside steps, my father Frank Aston had been in bed and my grandmother and aunts had been under the stairs - they did not have a shelter at that time.

The family sat down to have a cup of tea when they heard what my uncle described as a labouring drone from an aircraft which seemed to be right over their home - the pilot was obviously trying to loosen his bombs. Then there was a "swishing" noise as the first stick of bombs came down- then another and their house shook, then another and Aunt Margaret said "this one's for us".... The bombs actually landed in Orpwood Road and the houses situated at the bottom of my grandparents home in Kelynmead Road were hit. My uncle said the walls of six houses collapsed and the roofs just decended to the ground.

My grandad who had been standing on the doorstep at the back of the house came into the house with his flat cap on fire. The windows and doors of their house were blown out and the part of the roof was damaged. My father, Frank Aston was still in bed and it was was his birthday on 15th November. He was in bed when the bombs dropped. My grandmother - either fearing the worst, or in shock - handed my Uncle Eric, Frank's birthday cards and asked him to take them up to him and wish him happy birthday. Uncle found my father still in bed covered with masonery and roofing tiles, but unhurt - the sky could be seen through the roof.

It was known that the family in one of the houses hit had always sheltered under the stairs - a woman was alone with her children as her husband was at work. My father, Frank, put on his dressing gown and went to help rescue the family that were trapped. The mother had been alone with her children as her husband was at work. I understand that a little girl age 3/4 years died but the others were o.k. Other families had gone into the shelter at Lea Village School.

I remember when I was a little girl, a lady that always insisted on buying my dad a pint in the Lea Tavern as she said he has saved her and her children.

Dad was later to serve in the 2nd Battn. Ox. & Bucks Light Infantry.

In 1940 and 1941 the family home in Kelynmead Road was to suffer bomb damage again.

There was a barrage balloon site very near the house Lea Hall and the old British Legion site. This was manned by airforce men and women. There was a small section of railway line that they used and a truck and a anti aircraft gun. The site suffered a direct hit and the many airforce personnel were killed.

During an attack by what my uncle describes as a "aerial torpedo" - four railway trucks situated by the old British Legion Club (now a social club) were blown quite a distance with the power of the explosion and three landed in the gardens of the block in Kelynmead Road. The front of the family home was blown out. The bomb disposal team were brought out because they thought one was an unexploded bomb. The family had to move in with neighbours due to the extent of the damage to their home. The family were in the shelter at the time along with the next door neighbours and their cat and dog - 12 of them!

The neighbours had apparently laughed when my grandad erected the shelter and had not bothered with one themselves.

There is to this day still a large crack in the road outside the house.

The family moved into the house in Kelynmead Road in 1939 and my mother still lives there - my father Fank passed away last October.

The above story was told to me by my father and recently by my uncle, Eric Aston, aged 76.

My mother Rose Aston (nee Russell) who is now 75 told me of her memories of childhood during the war.

She lived in Norton Crescent, Bordesley Green, Birmingham, and one day when she was in the garden with her young nephew and her mother (who was hanging out washing), a German plane came over without warning. The pilot flew down at them and started to fire his guns and my grandmother threw both my mom and her grandson into the shelter and jumped in afterwards. No warning had sounded. Norton Crescent is situated very near to a railway and bridge.

During a bombing raid the family had not gone into the shelter because it was full of water and flames outside the house could be seen through the windows. My grandfather ran to the back of the house but the flames there beat him back. A "bread-basket" had been dropped (incenery bombs) - and the family were trapped.

The family were relieved to hear a familiar voice - a neighbour with a stirrup pump - he had been on fire watch and saved the family.

My mother also told me that many people including airforce men were killed when they took shelter in a fish n chip shop near the bridge near The Pelham Arms public house in Ward End. A landmine had dropped in Alum Rock Road near the Capitol Cinema.

She also told me that the only time a bomb did "a bit of good" was when she and her sister Irene (who both worked at the LEVIS on work) were on their way to work and a water pipe had been burst by a bomb blast. Mom's siter Irene had a large stye on her eye and as she passed the jet of water burst the stye and gave her relief from the pain!

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