- Contributed by听
- Derek-Pearson
- People in story:听
- Herbert Pearson, Florrie Pearson, Derek Pearson, Stanley Pearson, Mr Burdett.
- Location of story:听
- Coventry, Warwicks
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3263870
- Contributed on:听
- 12 November 2004
Derek Pearson aged 9 showing gap in the fence for the neighbours
As soon as possible after the outbreak of war my mother Florrie Pearson decided that we would have an Anderson air raid shelter in the garden. The men came and dug out a hole about five feet cubed and carefully put the soil to one side. The bottom has layered with concrete about one foot deep and the sides shuttered and concrete poured in to make walls about nine inches thick. When the concrete had set, the men came back and contructed the shelter. Bent corrugated steel panels were bolted together to make an arch, corrugated flat panels were bolted on at the back and front (to leave a gap at the front for an entrance) and all the earth put back on top to make it bomb proof
Mother was very proud of the shelter and had bunk beds and a cupboard made and with a carpet and cushions it was very cosy.
The neighbours looked over the fence and poured scorn on it saying that it was a waste of money and the Germans wouldn't get over the Channel. My parents didn't care and made it better. Mum threw grass seed over the soil and Dad (Herbert) made a blast barrier by building a sandbag wall across the entrance.
Then in November 1940 the Germans came! We had opened up the fences on both sides of the garden so Mrs Duddins and Mrs Burdett came into the shelter with us as well as some of the scorners from futher along the row. My father was an air raid warden, brother Ken was away in the army. brother Ray was in the Home Guard and brother Stan was in the Police Cadets. The bombs were coming down but I wasn't frightened. During a lull we heard my father's voice asking if we were OK, he had got permission to come home to see. Suddenly we heard the scream of a falling bomb (some bombs were fitted with screamer tail fins) and Dad shouted 'I'm coming in!' and he dived in on top of all the people.
Next morning I came out to see him looking at the shelter. A block of houses at the top of the road had been blown up but all we had were broken windows.
Dad said 'It wasn't possible'
'What wasn't?' I asked.
'To dive over that wall into the shelter.' he replied.
'But you did it!' I said.
'I know, but I don't know how!' was the reply.
The shelter was used again in February 1941, when the Germans returned and dropped the same amount of bombs in half the time. after that I was evacuated to Ratley village to a schoolboy's heaven but that is another storyu!
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