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Memories of Mrs Ishbel Stevens (nee Turnbull)

In the autumn of 1940 my home in Southampton was experiencing some of the worst air raids of the war.
One of my memories was at lunch time on the 29 September when I was preparing to return to my job in Dibben’s office in St Mary’s Road in the town. Although the siren had not gone we felt a bomb drop as the windows of the house shook from the blast. Too late the siren sounded, shortly followed by the “All clear” and I set off on my bicycle.
I had decided for a change to go down The Avenue, which was not my normal route, however when I reached it I was stopped by a policeman. I could see in the near distance ruins of a house and a crowd of people. Very worried, I told the policeman I though it was my aunts’ house but there was no passing him, so I hurried home to tell my father. He quickly went and found the house next door to my aunts was demolished and the two ladies in it sadly killed. The front of my aunts’ house was no more but my father found my two aunties and two cousins (Bella and Peggy Barr)just climbing out of their large cellar, covered in dust.
My cousin said she could not believe her eyes and there was never such a welcome sight to see than her uncle Matthew, there to help and bring them to stay in our home. How did he know!
Apparently my cousin had heard the German plane (A lone raider) coming and said”Quick! The cellar” or their story might have had a different ending.

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