I was a young boy in this great city during the blitz, one on Sunday night and one on the thursday, we were terrified, sat in our anderson shelter in the garden on the manor Estate.

I stocked it with chocolate and drinks after building a blast wall across the entrance to protect us. I built it by fetching grass sods from a mile away with a one handled barrow that we had at the time. We had four bunk beds in the shelter, two at either side with bedding for if we had to sleep in there.

When an air raid was on, the silence in our shelter was deafening, as one never knew if one might get a direct hit and that would have been the end for us. There were five in our family, as my father had died and my eldest brother was in the R.A.F.

One night during the air raid, we got a peice of shrapnel in our house wall as big as a dinner plate, if anyone had been standing there they would have been cut in half. During one night when the German bombers came over, dozens of revellers were killed in the old Marples public house in Fitzalan Square when it received a direct hit.

Looking back to that period in my life, I shudder to think what could have happened to us in those dark days. Two things I particularly remember, was, when the sirens sounded the warning of enemy planes approaching, it filled us with dread and the other when it was all over, the all clear and we were so relieved. :( :( :(

Something you could perhaps clarify or not Halevan??

My grandad was a courier during WWII. I thought it very cool at the time he told me as he had to ride a Harley.
Anyway, he told me about the time when he went through Sheffield city centre and the authorities were filling in the shelters with the people who had died still in them.

Now I figure that in common sense terms, it may have been futile given the circumstances and too dangerous to continue rescuing the bodies. But it shocked me at the time and obvisouly my grandad as I think he was a teenager at the time.

My nannan was a staff nurse in a Halifax hospital and remember Italian prisoners of war being treated there. "they knew little English but they swore and cussed well".
Like ciggarettes and young pretty nurses apparently.

Moon Maiden

Hi Moon Maiden,
I was very young at the time and my dear Mother was most protective of us all, particularley me as the youngest. so, I wasn't allowed to go very far as she was afraid that something might happen to me.

Consequently, in those days I never got to town but my elder brother and my brother in law, told us about seeing the devastation in the city centre when they went to work.

The wreckage of the buses and tramcars lying all over the streets, heaps of debris so that no traffic could get through, pieces of bodies in the streets, buildings totaly flattened

One man was standing at the door of his house and the blast from a bomb sheared his body from his legs just like a knife. We didn't know when the next strike would be so my Aunty who lived at Bradwell in Derbyshire came over to fetch us to live with her for a few weeks, where it was a lot safer.

Although I was born in 1939, my memories of the war include sitting in the air-raid shelter in the back garden, singing!!I was only a few years old, but I do remember seeing planes caught in the searchlights.
Here is a questiuon for any of you who know (or remember) the Manor estate. I had an uncle and aunt who lived on Stanground Road. We got off the tram at Ravencar road, then turned onto Stanground Road. There was one street we crossed, then the house was five or six on the right hand side. At the end of Stanground Road was, I think, Hastilar road. It went up the hill to Prince of Wales road, or down to a large pub, The Springvale, I think.
I have looked at a couple of 'on-line' maps, but don't seem to be able to see any streets in that area. Are the houses all demolished?

As you drive down the Wicker heading out of town going under the bridge, if you look up and to the left you can see a large repair.
I was told that this was caused by a german bomb dropped during the blitz, it didn't go off but looking at the size of the repair it made quite a hole.

There is a mention of it here,

http://www.burngreavemessenger.org.uk/32june03/wicker.htm

Here is an interesting link I found regarding the Marples bombing -
Death at the Marples (http://www.chrishobbs.com/marples1940.htm)

I hope that I get this right. I have memories about the war, most vividly about going outside our house at night to look up at the German bombers coming over to bomb Sheffield (we lived at Kiveton Park). One time, I had to be put through the pantry window to let us in as the sneck(is that a building term, or not?)
Five bombs were dropped on the village or around it, but none went off so we were lucky.
But my question is this - could I have remembered this happening, as I was only four when the war ended? Or, is me 'memory' actually of things I was told happened later in life?

Originally posted by BigD
But my question is this - could I have remembered this happening, as I was only four when the war ended? Or, is me 'memory' actually of things I was told happened later in life?

I think this one has puzzled philosophers and scientists alike for many years. I have memories of when I was 3, sitting on a swing in Singapore surrounded by wild pigs which had come into the garden from the surrounding forest. My (older) sisters are divided on this, one saying I must have dreamt it and the others saying it actually happened because my mother told them about it. Is it my memory or my family's? My recollections of my early years are divided between old cine film, memory and family discussion but they all seem 'real' to me.

Hi I was born in Kiveton park 1937. I remember the war vividly. We used to listen for the doodle bugs whistling over, and watch the lights in the sky over sheffield. Can you remember the incendiary bomb dropping on Kiveton Pit yard.? My grandfather was in the homeguard, Sundays they would all meet in the back room of his brothers pub the Leeds Arms, opposite Wales Church. Their excuse to play a game of cards. I left kiveton 4o years ago but do go back occasionally. not like it used to be.

After lengthy discussion with my mum about first memories (of mine and my 3 siblings) we concluded that your first memory is always something which was traumatic at the time.

I was about 18 months when I had mine. It's actually a still picture, of the pictures on the wall of our stairs in the house we left shortly afterwards. I was half asleep, being carried by my dad, and I opened my eyes and saw the pics. The truama was that I didn't expect to see them there, as I thought I was somewhere else.

My little brother's first memory is a taxi ride. Again before he was two. On analysis, he was travelling with my gran to see our new brother in hospital who'd just been born. He had never been away from Mum before, and had never been in a taxi before.

In conclusion - pigs invading your garden is traumatic enough at that age for it to be a genuine memory, Max :thumbsup:

[QUOTE]Originally posted by halevan
[B]I was a young boy in this great city during the blitz, one on Sunday night and one on the thursday, we were terrified, sat in our anderson shelter in the garden on the manor Estate.

I stockedcame] ..

I can relate to all that Halevan.
We were in those andersons for hours on end waiting for the all clear. Listening for the planes going over and to hear the grownups saying its okay it,s one of ours. One nite there was a troup of ARP men running past our shelter to climb Pipworth rd school wall a bomb had hit the school it was just an incendary bomb. Our parents thought it was the germans coming to get us and all started saying our prayers.
Our parents must have had it rough eh! didn,t get any chocs though unless we could get some that were left in the school shelters remember them.Grrrrrr! stinky old things they were too.
Regards Vera.

I can't remember being frightened of the war, just thought that life consisted of "don't you know there is a war on"
My life had always had a war on I'd not known any different.
Didn't miss sweets as couldn't remember having a surplus, did vaguely remember that chocolate came out of the machines(and Beechnut chewing gum ) but thought I dreamed it.

But I remember the excitement of the " bonfires " down town I veiwed i from the hills of arbourthorne , and the planes overhead and shrapnel falling around us.

As strixs says the fear I felt was linked to an event
My mom quickly pulling me out of the bath whan the sirens went. ( I think the planes came at dusk ) And my skin being trapped in the zip of my sirensuit , again when the sirens went.
Still get goosepimples when bathing at dusk in a certain light.

Bombed buildings were playgrounds for me and part of my life
as a child. I always thoouht it intrusiive when the bombing revealed the inside of peoples homes, like a sort of voyerism a bit like seeing people undressed, all their privacy revealed to the world.
Hazel

How nice your memories are Hazel, we were still on ration few years after the war too, weren't we ? but always seemed to have plenty of coupons in the books to buy sweets ect, didn't seem like a ration to me, maybe we just wanted to use them up.

Yes always got some skin trapped in siren suits, we wore ours long after the war, they must have been well made back then, now they call them babies sleepers, just thinner and softer now.

Thanks for your memories Hazel, again.

Yes Poppins I remember using sweet coupons when I was 15 which would have been 1951. I think they must have gradually taken things off ration leaving non essentials till the end .

It's nice to have someone to share memories with isn't it, thanks for listening.
Hazel

I remember the air raids, but I remember them as something to look forward to. we got to wear our siren suits and sit drinking cocoa and singing in the shelters, I thought it was great, maybe my parents had something to do with that(QUOTE]Originally posted by halevan
I was a young boy in this great city during the blitz, one on Sunday night and one on the thursday, we were terrified, sat in our anderson shelter in the garden on the manor Estate.

I stocked it with chocolate and drinks after building a blast wall across the entrance to protect us. I built it by fetching grass sods from a mile away with a one handled barrow that we had at the time. We had four bunk beds in the shelter, two at either side with bedding for if we had to sleep in there.

When an air raid was on, the silence in our shelter was deafening, as one never knew if one might get a direct hit and that would have been the end for us. There were five in our family, as my father had died and my eldest brother was in the R.A.F.

One night during the air raid, we got a peice of shrapnel in our house wall as big as a dinner plate, if anyone had been standing there they would have been cut in half. During one night when the German bombers came over, dozens of revellers were killed in the old Marples public house in Fitzalan Square when it received a direct hit.

Looking back to that period in my life, I shudder to think what could have happened to us in those dark days. Two things I particularly remember, was, when the sirens sounded the warning of enemy planes approaching, it filled us with dread and the other when it was all over, the all clear and we were so relieved. :( :( :( [/QUOTE]

Originally posted by halevan
I was a young boy in this great city during the blitz, one on Sunday night and one on the thursday, we were terrified, sat in our anderson shelter in the garden on the manor Estate.

I stocked it with chocolate and drinks after building a blast wall across the entrance to protect us. I built it by fetching grass sods from a mile away with a one handled barrow that we had at the time. We had four bunk beds in the shelter, two at either side with bedding for if we had to sleep in there.

When an air raid was on, the silence in our shelter was deafening, as one never knew if one might get a direct hit and that would have been the end for us. There were five in our family, as my father had died and my eldest brother was in the R.A.F.

One night during the air raid, we got a peice of shrapnel in our house wall as big as a dinner plate, if anyone had been standing there they would have been cut in half. During one night when the German bombers came over, dozens of revellers were killed in the old Marples public house in Fitzalan Square when it received a direct hit.

Looking back to that period in my life, I shudder to think what could have happened to us in those dark days. Two things I particularly remember, was, when the sirens sounded the warning of enemy planes approaching, it filled us with dread and the other when it was all over, the all clear and we were so relieved. :( :( :(
do you remember the buzz bombs going over i lived at firth park at the i saw one heading manchester way

On the night of the thursday night blitz i had called for my friend on Archdale Rd,they had the radio on and Sandy Mcpherson was playing the organand you could hear the sirensgoing in the background,my mates dad saidyou are ok tonight lads they wont be coming here tonight,we had just stepped out of the door when we heard the alarm sounding at the Manor Lane gun site,within seconds the guns opened fire then the sirens sounded this was just after 7-0pm we were in the shelter till the all clear went after4-0am.my friends brother wanted to light a cigarette but his father wouldnt let him saying they might see the light just imagine what he said when we came out and saw half of sheffield on fire We heard all the bombs come whistling down except the one that landed about 20 yards away killing one of my mates fatherI had a heck of a job getting back to my homewhat a relief to finf my family ok

Originally posted by oldtimer
Although I was born in 1939, my memories of the war include sitting in the air-raid shelter in the back garden, singing!!I was only a few years old, but I do remember seeing planes caught in the searchlights.
Here is a questiuon for any of you who know (or remember) the Manor estate. I had an uncle and aunt who lived on Stanground Road. We got off the tram at Ravencar road, then turned onto Stanground Road. There was one street we crossed, then the house was five or six on the right hand side. At the end of Stanground Road was, I think, Hastilar road. It went up the hill to Prince of Wales road, or down to a large pub, The Springvale, I think.
I have looked at a couple of 'on-line' maps, but don't seem to be able to see any streets in that area. Are the houses all demolished?

I was also born in 1939, and like you remember the sirens and search light's in the sky and feeling frightened. I lived on Charnock estate, we had an air raid shelters at each end of the road don't ever remember ever being in there, we used to get under the table when the enemy planes were coming over.

Does antone remember the piece of p oetry which started with
Its 10-0o clock
the sirens sound
all the family goes to ground
down the garden helter skelter
dive heads first into the air raid shelter
chairs and gas masks follow suit
father rolls in minus boot
shouting out the old refrain the rotten buggars here again
i dont remember anymore but there was several verses one going settle down in an uneasy sleep
while overhead the searchlights creep