Graham Middleton describes the air raids
Resource Type: Audio | Posted on 2nd October 2014 by Jenny Porter
Graham’s Mother couldn’t go into the shelter at St Anne’s because they weren’t Catholic. They very nearly went into the Durning Road shelter the night of the big disaster where hundreds of civilians lost their lives (http://www.edgehillstation.co.uk/resources/steven-moran-06/). Graham’s mum would wait for her dad to come home from work in Cammel Lairds before going to the shelter even though her mum would have already made her way there.
Interviewee: Graham Middleton
Interviewee Gender: Male
Date of Interview: 14th August 2014
Interview Transcript
Graham: When the air-raid sirens went, people would go off to the shelters either in Wavertree or this Mystery Place, there was a shelter there. And there was a shelter off Durning Road/ Clint Road where there was a big disaster. That night, they were very nearly there, but changed their mind and went elsewhere for whatever reason. They couldn’t go into the shelter at St. Anne’s, ‘cause they weren’t Catholic and there was a little bit of that sort of thing, you know. So, my Nan, as soon as the air-raid sirens would go, she gathered up her knitting and her purse and go off to the shelters, leaving my mum to stay in the house. Because she was waiting for her dad to come home, ‘cause he would be coming down from Cammel Lairds and he walked from the ferry boat up to Chatsworth Street, whistling. And so she’d hear his whistle, and then, the two of them would go to the shelter. She wasn’t prepared to go.
Categorised under: The War
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