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This story was submitted to the People's War site by volunteer Helen Philpott on behalf of Dougald Kyle and has been added to the site with his permission. Dougald Kyle fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

“Sometimes the raids lasted an hour or three. Baffa walls were erected in front of our tenement buildings in which we lived, to protect us from German attacks from the sky.
In the brick built shelter which held about sixty or so people, an adult would sing and encourage us kids to play Eye spy to take our minds off the raid. If the raid lasted a short while we had to go back home and try to catch some sleep before getting up for school, but if the raid was a long one and we’d been up all night, then we were allowed to stay off school and sleep for that day.
We got to know the sounds of the different planes: German planes had a long droning sound, but the British ones seemed to run more smoothly and were quieter.
When I wasn’t in school I played with my pals among all the debris. We had neither toys to play with nor sweeties, so we collected shrapnel. These were remnants left over from raids the nights before. ‘I got a bigger one than you . . .’ we’d cry. We would swap them as well: a big piece for two wee pieces. We were kids and didn’t know any better.
I was evacuated with about twenty other children in 1942. We were sent to Blairegowery, but we only stayed one week because our guardian Mrs R. argued with the farmer who wanted to work us on his farm. Mrs R. said ‘no’ so that was that and we went home!
At the end of the war a great party took place. Anyone who could play an instrument played. Bonfires burned - they burned for days! My wife’s uncle had been a prisoner of war for 6 years. When he returned, a huge banner was displayed and bore the words, Welcome ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Neil.â€�

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