June Springett
Coming out of Swan wood after a lovely walk this September I remembered another beautiful September day in 1940. My Mother, Grandmother Myself and Brother and very much little sister had been in the woods collecting blackberries. I was 7 years old, my brother 4 and my sister was 1 year old being pushed in a pram. As we emerged into Swan Lane I heard the sound of aeroplanes coming very low over the woods and looked up I remember saying "look mum all those plane have swastikas on them". Without a word the blackberries were tipped out of the little baskets that we had used to put them in, the baskets were then placed on me and my brothers heads (for supposed camouflage) and we were pushed into Hannikins Wood where we lay on the ground. It was the start of the Battle of Britain and we were in those woods for an hour or more whilst the most terrible dog fights were going on with the Spitfires v Germans. We could hear the gunfire all around us and I guess we were all petrified particularly the adults. When we did emerge I can see now the parachute descending and the planes were still firing only further off but we made it home. Next morning several of us village children returned to the wood where we found lots of brass shell cases some of which I still have in my possession. This September when I cam out of the wood there were thankfully no German planes, just a jumbo jet or two and a vivid wartime memory.
June Springett 2003
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