R
Robert Harrison
Guest
Thank You Mister Anderson
Part Five
“My goodness gracious boys” exclaimed Mister Howe’s,
“Will you look at that now” He did not have to tell us to
Look, for we all had our eyes on what was taking place
Over the sky’s of our school. Vapor trails from the hot
Screaming fighters engines at high altitude crisscrossed
The blue sky. The faint sound of machine gun fire could
Be heard. A vapor trail grew dark. “One has been hit”
Said Mister Howe’s, his hand going to his mouth.” Is it?
One of ours sir, sir is it ones of ours?” “I do not know
Boy, I just do not know, the planes are far too high for me
To see who has been hit. Oh my God, we are at war”.
It was then that Mr. Howe’s attitude to the whole scene
Seemed to change, from one of total bewilderment and
Surprise to one who was trained to such situations.
“Boy’s, face your front, now quick march into the
Shelter, left right, left right, quickly now” Our dear
Benny Howe’s had turned into a Sergeant Major.
Benny Howe’s who could read W.W Jacob’s and
H Rider Haggard and recite from Keats in the most
Calming of voices had turned into a drill instructor.
“Miss Robert’s get the girls in quickly, boys hurry now”.
We all shuffled into our very own Black Hole of Calcutta.
One six is six, two sixes are twelve, three sixes are eighteen.
We went all through our twelve times tables, together and
Individually, I failing with the nine times table. Nine I could
Never manage. I even had difficulty with the one times table.
Allen Bass began showing off by saying the alphabet backwards,
Z,y,x,w…
Hail began to fall outside, was it hail, it did not sound like hail.
Hail sounded like heavy rain, this was different. “Sir” it was
Betty Parkins. “Sir it’s raining long things”. “Get your silly
Head away from the entrance you silly, silly girl”. It was
Miss Roberts shouting, as she ran over to the shelter entrance
And dragged Betty back to her seat. A Dull sort of tinkling
Sound came from the boy’s entrance. “Sir” shouted Dougy
Trapper. “It’s a bullet casing, it rolled into the entrance, Can
I keep it sir”.
We were in the shelter for an hour and a half. When the
All Clear sounded, there were enough bullet casings and
Bullets for very one in the school to take home and show
Their parents. And Birmingham had received her first
Daylight raid.
Part Five
“My goodness gracious boys” exclaimed Mister Howe’s,
“Will you look at that now” He did not have to tell us to
Look, for we all had our eyes on what was taking place
Over the sky’s of our school. Vapor trails from the hot
Screaming fighters engines at high altitude crisscrossed
The blue sky. The faint sound of machine gun fire could
Be heard. A vapor trail grew dark. “One has been hit”
Said Mister Howe’s, his hand going to his mouth.” Is it?
One of ours sir, sir is it ones of ours?” “I do not know
Boy, I just do not know, the planes are far too high for me
To see who has been hit. Oh my God, we are at war”.
It was then that Mr. Howe’s attitude to the whole scene
Seemed to change, from one of total bewilderment and
Surprise to one who was trained to such situations.
“Boy’s, face your front, now quick march into the
Shelter, left right, left right, quickly now” Our dear
Benny Howe’s had turned into a Sergeant Major.
Benny Howe’s who could read W.W Jacob’s and
H Rider Haggard and recite from Keats in the most
Calming of voices had turned into a drill instructor.
“Miss Robert’s get the girls in quickly, boys hurry now”.
We all shuffled into our very own Black Hole of Calcutta.
One six is six, two sixes are twelve, three sixes are eighteen.
We went all through our twelve times tables, together and
Individually, I failing with the nine times table. Nine I could
Never manage. I even had difficulty with the one times table.
Allen Bass began showing off by saying the alphabet backwards,
Z,y,x,w…
Hail began to fall outside, was it hail, it did not sound like hail.
Hail sounded like heavy rain, this was different. “Sir” it was
Betty Parkins. “Sir it’s raining long things”. “Get your silly
Head away from the entrance you silly, silly girl”. It was
Miss Roberts shouting, as she ran over to the shelter entrance
And dragged Betty back to her seat. A Dull sort of tinkling
Sound came from the boy’s entrance. “Sir” shouted Dougy
Trapper. “It’s a bullet casing, it rolled into the entrance, Can
I keep it sir”.
We were in the shelter for an hour and a half. When the
All Clear sounded, there were enough bullet casings and
Bullets for very one in the school to take home and show
Their parents. And Birmingham had received her first
Daylight raid.
