- Contributed by听
- actiondesksheffield
- People in story:听
- Rosalie Weir, Edna Yull (deceased, mum) and Blanche Croft (nee Yull, baby sister).
- Location of story:听
- Kingston-upon-Hull
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A4108907
- Contributed on:听
- 24 May 2005
This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Bill Ross of the 鈥楢ction Desk 鈥 Sheffield鈥 Team on behalf of Rosalie Weir, and has been added to the site with the author鈥檚 permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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At the time, I was 11 years old and was living with my parents and six brothers and sisters. We lived in a corner council house and our back garden was attached to the other gardens on the corner.
One summer鈥檚 night, either in 1940 or 41 (I鈥檓 not sure which), the usual heavy raids began and this time it was our turn. A land mine had dug itself into our back garden and had not exploded. We, as a family were moved to a safe house further back on the estate until the mine was made safe.
The next morning, mum told me I had to take my baby sister, Blanche (only a few months old), for a walk. I was instructed to go down 25th Avenue as far as the policeman (the area was cordoned off), say hello, then come back slowly. I didn鈥檛 ask why, I just did it. Mum and I, with Blanche in the pram set off to the top of 25th Avenue (we lived at the bottom). I did as I was told by walking slowly down the avenue and back. Then Mum appeared with two bags; she had hopped and run down all the back gardens until she was home again, and unlocked the back door. Her baby needed a change of clothes and nappies. After collecting them, she returned by the same means, undetected by the policeman who could see only the fronts of the houses.
I can remember, at the age of 11 years, sitting on a stone school staircase during the air raids. I didn鈥檛 actually attend school for a while because, if the raids lasted for more than an hour during the night, we didn鈥檛 have to attend school the next day. It was no holiday however, we were not allowed to go out of sight of home.
It is known that the city of Kingston-upon-Hull had more tonnage of bombs per square mile than any other city in England, but it was only ever mentioned as an 鈥渆ast coast town鈥. We only hear of London and Coventry.
PR-BR
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