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It was a beautiful late summers day, clear blue skies and with the temperature nudging 80F.The Battle of Britain was at its height but so far, the Luftwaffe had not bombed Central London,although there had been some bombs dropped at night.
Johnny and I were allowed to go up to Shooters Hill to play and use our borrowed binoculars to keep an eye on the raids which were taking place all over the South of England. Shooters Hill is the highest point in Kent and consisted of three separate parks, two of them faced South and West and the other faced East.
The council had cut trenches across all the parks to stop German gliders from landing and in each of the three parks, Johnny and I Hadconstructed shelters over the trnches from pieces of corrugated iron and sandbags from the deserted works sites.
It was well after 5pm when we heard some gunfire coming from the East so we ran through the woods until we reached our shelter facing East. From there we had a panoramic view down the River Thames,down as far as the Ford Moror Company factory and as far West as the Woolwich Arsenal.
As we emerged from the woods we were met by a sight that we would never forget.Stretching away in front of us from 10,000 to 25,00 feet was a huge phalanx of German aircraft.Heinkel 111's, Junkers 88's and Dornier 17's. Above them, the Messerscmitt 110 fighter bombers and above them, the Messerscmitt 109 fighters. Ascene so horrific to two little boys, only nine years old, that we both suffered nightmares for yaers. As the iarcraft moved inexorably Westward, we could see no RAF 'planes. Bombs began to drop on the Woolwich Arsenal and there was one gigantic explosion which we later discovered was a direct hit on one of the 'danger buildings,' then, the RAF arrived and there were dogfights all over the sky. We saw a He 111 plummet earthwards with an engine on fire, an Me 110 fell like a leaf, two parachutes emerged from it. Then, a Hurricane, doing a victory roll after shooting down one of the enemy, hit a barrage ballon cable, slicing off his left wing. He plunged to the ground and burst into flames. Bombs were coming nearer to us now and we had to crouch down in our trench as pieces of shrapnel, big enough to take off our heads, clanged to the ground.Bombs fell in a stick across the streets below us and the noise was deafening, then, suddenly, they were gone. All gthe action moved Westwards towards the London Docks. The all clear hadn't sounded but we ran all the way from Eaglesfield Park, down Plum Lane and across Plumstead Common, we were due at my Gran's for tea and we were late. As we ran round the corner of Kirkham Street into Flaxton, my Mum was coming towards us. I got a clip round the ear but a cuddle as well. i got another clipped ear from my Gran and then we had paste sandwiches and Fairy cakes for tea.
My grandfather worked in the danger Buildings and he was also late home, but that is another story.

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