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I am writing this story on behalf of my father, Geoffery Welton. My father was born just before the start of the WW2, May 1937. He doesn't mention much of the war, but when asked, he amazes me with what he can actually remember. He must only be the age of 4/5, and can remember the planes flying overhead to France, Germany etc. It happened quite frequently, as North Lincolnshire was littered with RAF Airfields, and also the enemy often tried to bomb the Steel Works in Scunthorpe and the docks at Hull.

He also remembers vividly the Air Raid Sirens, and everyone having bunkers in the backgarden, which he thought was a fantastic playground.

One night, the enemy flew over, he can't quite remember whether the Siren was sounded to late, or whether he just couldn't get out of a nice warm bed. But bombs were being dropped, far too close for comfort. One came through the roof of his parents house. At the time, there were 9 children, my father being the youngest, asleep in there along with his parents. Fire broke out all around, everybody ran from the house screaming, waiting .....just waiting for the explosion. But it didn't come.

Head counts were made on the street, to see if anyone was missing, yes there was, my father. He laughs about it now, but everyone was frantic, they couldn't decide whether to attempt to go back in the blazing house to look for this 5 yr old rascal or not because as yet the bomb hadn't exploded.

It wasn't long before the fire engine arrived, evacuated the area, put the fires out, and attempted to enter the house, to find the bomb had landed in the water tank! This was the only reason the bomb didn't go off! And found little Geoffery cuddled up at the bottom of big sisters bed, scared to death!!

The my father preceded to tell me that after all that trauma, he became the envy of all his school friends because he got to have a ride in the fire engine.

It really amazes me how close he and the rest of our family were so close to death, but by sheer luck they are here to tell the tale, and I am here to record this event.

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