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John was thirteen years old, when he experienced this, and other events during the constant shelling — from which there was never any respite. His parents ran a retailing outlet for fresh fish, and when he was just thirteen years he was driving the company delivery van between the Folkestone fish markets and the Flood family retail outlets. John, like many of his contemporaries were unable to go to school, as the town was completely shut down from normal life owing to the constant shelling. When people’s homes were too badly damaged to live in, some took up residence in the caves and tunnels which abounded within the famous ‘white cliffs’. The Military were in charge of the town, and people driving in and out had to have passes, which had to be shown at the barriers upon entering and leaving. On one particular occasion, John told me … “my mother woke me up as a shell had just landed in the square outside the shop. The roof had been blown off. and he could see the stars as he looked up. His Mum urged him to get out and help his Dad, as the nearby Baker’s shop was on fire. As he got to the front door, he saw his Dad running like mad — trying not to spill any water from the two buckets he was carrying. Suddenly, he disappeared, having fallen down a manhole, from which the cover had been blown off. John found all this very funny at the time, and when he told his Mum “Dad has fallen down a drain” she gave him a clip round the ear’ole and said “ Go and help him, you idiot” (or words to that effect!) On reaching the manhole, John’s Dad was to be seen hanging by his trousers — still clutching the buckets of water. John managed to help him out, with the buckets of water, but as he did so, another shell exploded nearby, in the same road in which his parents and his Aunt Nan lived — So he and his Father had to make a dash to see if Aunt Nan was still alive. Te begin with she was not to be found, but later on it turned out she had a friend staying in the house, and when the first shell had exploded — badly injured, he took refuge in a Morrison Shelter which undoubtedly saved his life. Apparently Aunt Nan had gone to a local School Air Raid Shelter to try and get some help, and so she too lived to see another day!.

On another Sunday afternoon - John and his mates went to the Kings Hall Cinema, to see a film — “Blues in the Night” — A Musical, featuring a great drummer Gene Krupa, and his Band. As they were enjoying the film, they suddenly felt the building shake, and they knew the town was in for another shelling. A notice came up on screen asking all military personnel to report to barracks immediately. The Cinema emptied except for the youngsters, and a few older folks. The film started again, but a few minutes later, another shell nearly brought the ceiling down — so this time the management said — “everybody out”. Outside it was carnage — bodies — injured troops — ambulances everywhere. John had never seen so many bodies in his life! He and his mates, continued through the Market Square to Nargate Street, where they went into Grilli’s Ice Cream Parlour for Knickerbocker Glories, until another shell landed close by. The gang of teenagers then decided to call it a day, and try and find their way to what was left of their homes.

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