“THUMBS UP”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 March 1941, Page 8

“THUMBS UP”

THE BRITISH SPIRIT SHOWN IN RAIDS ON LONDON. MANY TRYING EXPERIENCES. The following are extracts from a letter sent to a Masterton resident by a London lady, who is over 70 years of age, under date December- 28:—“I sent you the local newspaper to let you know the dreadful time we had here in September with two landmines as well as bombs. My house received some damage; indeed the windows were only put in this week and the roof repaired. The frames were blasted out and tiles blown off, but 300 houses were raised to the ground in one night and the next night was another dreadful ordeal. Tottenham, was pertainly an object of their hate, and since then its been day and night, we could not sleep in our beds for over two months. Now the shelter is waterlogged and cannot be altered, we have made the best of it indoors under what cover we can manage to make over our heads. But still we are carrying on and no one is grumbling more than they can help and all are doing their best and trying to be cheerful. One sops terrible destruction nil

around and loss of life; and yet this is called civilisation. How the negroes must scorn the white man of Germany. I am trying to keep my chin up and heels in. We had a German firing on us in the street one afternoon. He came out of the clouds all of a sudden, so I. stood up against a wall until he left off, and our men went up after the beast. They got him, so he won’t trouble us any more. I spent a very quiet Christmas, but we did not have any warnings. We could hardly realise the quiet from the dreadful bombardment night after night which we all put up with and are.getting used to. They have shortened up some of the foodstuffs. Just a little more rationing, but we have enough if we are careful. My brother was in hospital for a rather bad operation, and only five days after the hospital was bombed, 60 incendiary bombs being dropped on the part he was in. So the doctor carried him into another ward and then the mains burst and he was drenched with water. Then they put him in a chair on the lawn until the ambulance could take him to another hospital, but he got on allright and is now out, but still very ill. There were'four others in his ward that had been blown up with a time bomb the Jerries dropped. One poor fellow lost his sight, another lost a leg, another both legs and had his arms crushed, while the fourth was killed outright. My granddaughter is on one of the main switches at the A.R.P. cenirp hern and qhp hnc nnlv inqt Ininorl

Being rather a nervous girl one of the incidents that occurred here nearly finished her off. It was when we were bombed so badly in September. Well in ten minutes she had to call the ambulances for a number of casualties of a very serious nature. But she is determined to stick it out. We all try to] do that; being British we couldn't do ■ otherwise. You remember my daughter. Well one night a month ago we had a bad time and wer.e trying to stay in the shelter. She was going into the house between the gunfire and then came rushing into the sheltei' saying, “they have got us now." The noise was awful. -“It is one of Hitler's new terrors with clappers on its tail and coming down in the garden,” she said. So I put my fingers in my ears and waited for death. I thought it 4 long time coming, so just peeped out of the door and saw a dreadful looking monster coming swirling down with strings on it. Then I saw it was a barrage balloon they had shot down and the wires were dragging over the roofs and chimney pots making such a terrifying noise. However here, we are. stiff alive and kicking and waiting for more. There goes the warning again, so I must stop. Wishing you and yours a peaceful new year. The defence guns are firing now.”