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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by volunteer Michael Stimson on behalf of Peter Howes and has been added to the site with his permission . He fully understands the terms and conditions.

I was born in 1939 in Folkestone. My town was a target for hundreds of shells, bombs, mines and flying bombs. We saw and heard many of them,as we were never evacuated.

In the Summer of 1944, when I was five,I was playing in the street on my own. I looked up and saw a V1 overhead. I ran quickly and sheltered behind a nearby static water tank. My precocious quick thinking saved my life because the V1 exploded 50 yards away and demolished a row of houses. I wasn’t hurt but my poor mother who had rushed out of the house to grab me,had a heavy fall and badly injured her knee.

On VE day the local people lit a huge bonfire. The Fire Brigade came and put it out,saying that the blackout was still in force,even though the the war was over. I’m not sure they were right!

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