"CAN TAKE IT"

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 290, 2 April 1941, Page 5

"CAN TAKE IT"

BLITZ ON SHEFFIELD LETTER TO LOCAL RESIDENT Courage and del ermiantion are the keynotes in a letter received by a local resident from a relation living in Sheffieild : which has recently experienced' two concentrated air raids, and the spirit of all England' seems to be embraced in the phrase, "Britain can take it and hit back." Knowing that the 8.8, C.. had broad cast the fact that Sheffield had been subjected to air attack the writer hastened to allay any fears her New Zealand relative may have had for her safety, and happily intimated that she and all others of the familjr had escaped Hitler's blitz

Explaining that all her family and friends were in the First Aid Patrol the writer explains that, until recently, on the occasions of raid she had to spend the whole time alone until the "all clear" in

the Anderson shelter situated in their garden. On a recent occasion the sirens wailed out the warning at 7 o'clock and she and others settled down to await the "all clear" thinking it was just as had mostly been—planes passing over. Guns Open Fire. "However, suddenly the guns opened out and we rocked in our shelters—you can't imagine the din," she continued. "This went on for nine hours the "all clear" sounding at 4.30 a.m. in the morning and as Ave emerged from the shelter we could see the sky all aglow Avitb fire. Bxit even though Ave had so much gun fire we did not think for a minute that there was so much damage done. You see Ave haA r e the guns just at the end of our road and as you can imagine Ave couldn't tell which Avere guns and which Avere bombs!"

Roads Blocked*.

The letter continues to state that when setting off for work next morn ing the roads Aveje found to be impassable in places and people were unable to get to the town. Trams and buses Avere not running. Visiting a member of the family's house it Avas found that an incendiary had landed on the roof but had been extinguished but owing to doors and windows being bloAvn out the house had to be evacuated. Bomb Bounces off Shelter? Another relative had two bombs in front of 1 the house and another appeared to have gone under tfte foundations of the building. In another instance a bomb had .landed on a shelter but had bounced off and luckily being a did not explode. "I'll never forget the destruction and loss of life —Hitler's military objectives appear to be shops and private houses.'"

Heroic Work,

"The sirens went again at 1.20 on Sunday," continues the letter, "and we just walked on —somehow* one feels braver in the daytime, but when it is dark we run for shelter. !n the evening we had another raid from 9 to 10,30 p.m. arid again for two. hours on Monday." "We had two land mines on | either side of the road anidl were evacuated but the heroes of men who dismantle thesqf mines saved our homes. They "were mines like buoys dropped' by parachute which are massive! green silk affairs with silk cords. The mines' do terrible damage and we are lucky that the police found the mines or we wouldn't be here to tell the tale." Difficulties of Cooking. "However, we are carrying on as far as possible our normal lives. We have no gas so are doing our cooking on the upturned radiator and the sitting room fire —rather a slow process as all the water and milk has to be boiled in qase iof typhoid fever. We are very lucky as some people have no gas, water or electric light and hundreds have no homes at all."

Life in a Shelter. A description of the shelter is given the writer stating that they take cover in readiness for attacks. A-radiator and elcctric light have been installed and also two bunks and a hammock making room for ("our. to sleep in warmth and comat foot of next column)

fort. Supper is taken into tlie shelter and then it is found unnecessary to enter the house until the morning and on occasions, it is written the sirens go without those in tht> shelter being aware of the fact. "We feel safe in here and unless we get a direct hit we have a reasonable chance of living through the Hitler blitz. Will Never Give In. • "Don't imagine for a minute thai : we are downhearted. You'd have tc» see the courage of the people in th<s , worst possible circumstances to believe that people could take much and jump up and carry on. "Most families have lost someone, but at least those who have been killed will not suffer again. We do not know who will survive the war, but at ♦ least we will never give in and: if we do get killed we will have died in the front line for the freedom of the world 1 and the rising generations. We are not sorry for ourselves andf ' can say and mean it that BriU tain can take it and hit back.'* "We read about London getting used to it. Well after a week V,ver> know what to expect and yoa df>n't' seem' afraid of : what you know—its lie things you don't know that yo.tt ire afraid of," * :