Chichester Bomb, Armadale Road - A toddler's experience

James David Weston made his appearance in November 1941 at Beverley in Armadale Road, Chichester. There are no records as to who else was around at the time. Presumably my Dad was with the air force up in Lichfield, Staffs. Beverley was a bungalow and was rented by my parents. I have no recollections of these early days.

Everything changed on 26th April 1944 when Beverley was demolished by German bombs they were aiming for St James' school which acted as a radar station for Tangmere Airfield. The bomb landed in the road and the blast took the front of the house. Mum and I were at the back of the house. A nurse, who was billeted with Mum, was killed. I was blown, still on my mattress, through the window. In doing so I was hit by fragments of glass. Some of these are still in my left arm. I received facial injuries and cuts to my arms and stomach. Mum was much more seriously injured and lost an eye as well as serious injuries to her leg and hand. We were taken into a nearby air raid shelter. Mum recalled her concern at the time of what had happened to me. We were apparently reunited in the shelter where she heard my cries of protest. This was no way to treat a two and a half year old. I have no recollection of this event. There must have been considerable noise, debris and confusion. Presumably it must have hurt as I had several injuries. What would I have made of being in the garden in such a state without my Mum. We were later admitted to St. Richards. I often wonder what Dad thought when he came home and saw the ruins that was once our house. Mum's injuries were so serious that she would need treatment at the Royal Victoria hospital in East Grinstead. This was the hospital made famous by pioneering plastic surgery for the many airmen who were injured and burnt during the war. I later spent time at East Grinstead having plastic surgery to my face and having glass removed from my arms and stomach. Pieces of glass used to be regularly found in my bed. Some of these I have kept in a small glass phial. Mum and I were both treated by Sir Archibald McIndoe who was the famous pioneer of plastic surgery. On one occasion I was in the same ward as the comedian Jimmy Clitheroe. His act was of a naughty little boy, the Clitheroe Kid, and to achieve this he had periodic facelifts at the hospital.

During this time I was evacuated to live with Uncle Ralph, a fireman, and Auntie Glad in Winchester. Glad told me that I was brought over by Grandma Weston on the train. When they retrieved my pram from the goods van they found that it had been damaged by the bomb blast and only had 3 wheels. I was thereupon 'adopted' by the Winchester firemen and they completely renovated the pram. I remember nothing of this. Glad also told me that my face was a mess and that I would regularly secrete bomb blast material out of my eyes and nose. However, I was always very fond of her and Ralph. She had cats and ducks and a garden with a slope in it which was ideal for rolling. It was much later in life that I realised that there was tension between Mum and Glad stemming back to these days. Mum had to go back to the hospital on a number of occasions. I remember that during one of these I went to live with Aunt Milly and family in Fishbourne Road. I can recall being very unhappy there despite being able to play with cousin Richard who was slightly older than me. I often wonder what went on in my head during those days. I had really only ever been with Mum, Dad was away in Lichfield for most of the time. Suddenly there is a big bomb, huge confusion and I have lost my Mum. We were reunited in the hospital and then I went off staying with relatives.