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On a quiet Sunday evening on the 20th June l944 I was returning to my ATS quarters in Wimbledon from my home in Southall. The ‘bus on which I was travelling was approaching Norwood Green when the ominous sound of a doodlebug was heard getting closer and closer. The ‘bus was just rounding the bend into Heston when the bomb skimmed the roof making the passengers duck and exploded on a cottage next to the Rectory.

At home, my father, William Rees, a veteran of the Somme, holder of the oak leaf cluster for bravery, also heard the missile and instinct told him it was heading in the direction of my ‘bus. He was the Commandant of the local Red Cross Detachment so he grabbed his first-aid haversack and bicycle and pedalled furiously to Norwood Green to be the first person to arrive at the scene of devastation. He rendered aid to the three occupants he found in the Rectory before other help arrived and then accompanied one of them in the ambulance to a local hospital but she unfortunately died on the way there. When he left the rescue team were still digging for survivors in the cottage.

He never received recognition for that night only being so grateful that his only child had had such a miraculous escape. I have always felt his story should have been recorded.

Ironically in l943 when I made application to be married in St.Mary’s Church, Norwood Green, the Rector my father rescued, had refused to marry me on the grounds that I was a non-churchgoer and stated he would not perform the last rites on anyone who did not attend his church. After my mother had told him I was christened in that church and had been a regular attender in pre-service days he very reluctantly agreed to conduct the ceremony declining permission to an Army Chaplain who had volunteered to officiate. He conducted our wedding with very bad grace turning his back on us on the last word. Incidentally my father was not one of his flock!


Madeleine (Babs) Croll née Rees
Sgt. ATS W/128587

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