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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Sue Smith on behalf of Nora O’Brien and has been added to the site with her permission. Nora fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.
I was brought up in Sunderland and lived near the ship yards so our streets were the focus of bombing raids during the war. I can remember seeing the paintworks bombed and later the Vaux Brewery although amazingly no one was killed. Near our house was a bridge over the railway line which led directly to the shipyards. The German planes blew a hole in it so all traffic had to detour along the river which took much longer. There was an air raid warning one day when I was at school and we were in the playground. The teachers shouted to us to lie down on the edge nears the walls and we all escaped with minor injuries. I recall being ill with measles and having to stay in the shelter. Looking out in the gloom one evening I saw a dark figure which I thought was German but it was in reality the Warden, but I can still recall my childish fear. The worst day for us was when the local cinema was bombed and our neighbour lost six children in the raid. It left a scar on the town and a memorial is still there today.

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