Dartford During World War II

A Memory of Dartford.

I was born in Ash Road Dartford in 1929, moved to Miskin Road about 1934, then to Halford Way, where we spent the war, and from where I left to get married at Holy Trinity Church in 1951. Earliest memories were of Miss Jolly comforting me when I started at the C of E. Primary School at the bottom of West Hill aged five, in tears.

When the then Duke of Kent paid a visit to West Hill Hospital we were all lined up on the hill to wave to him as he was driven past.. War came and I helped my Dad dig out part of our garden to erect an Anderson shelter, partly underground, and Dad grew nasturtiums all over the top to make it more attractive. We spent many many nights sheltering down there - my parents, my sister Peggy, brother Dennis, the cat and the budgerigar, and sometimes our elderly next-door neighbours, Mr & Mrs Campbell as well. Our area was a target, being close to the railway junction, and on moonlight nights the German planes would use the river Thames as a guide. We were in this shelter when West Hill Hospital was hit - by a landmine, we were told - with many casualties.

In January 1944 our house was hit by incendiary bombs, I was doing my homework under the dining room table, as we had all got weary of going out on cold nights to sit in the damp shelter. My father had a stirrup pump which he used to put the bombs out. I was lucky that night, as one bomb actually hit my bed. Soon after that, my sister Peggy's friend, Joyce Coveney, was with her two children, Peter and Christine, when a phosphorus bomb fell on their house, no17 Ross Road. . Ken, her husband, was on duty that night with the Home Guard, manning the anti-aircraft guns on Dartford Heath. Peter was 2 yrs. 3 months, and Christine only11 months old, and Joyce went bravely into the flames to try to rescue them, unsuccessfully. Joyce died 3 days later, on 1st February.. Is there anyone now who remembers this tragic incident? Joyce's maiden name was Cross. Some time later Ken Coveney married my sister, and they had a boy and a girl, Alan and Janet.

Many contributors have mentioned the Morland Avenue flying bomb - its engine cut out as it flew just above rooftop level in Halford Way. I was actually watching it, and as the engine cut I knew it would either nose-dive steeply, or glide for a while, so I slammed our front door shut, and lay down on the floor, waiting for the bang. It glided on to Morland Avenue. My sister-in-law and her baby lived in Swaisland Road, opposite the top of Morland Avenue, and my brother was away in the Army, so my Dad and I got on our bicycles to see if they were involved. We found them at her mother's house in Raeburn Avenue, along with other survivors, and I will never forget making tea for them, they were all
filthy with dust and soot including the baby, whom Dorrie was feeding.

1945 brought VE and VJ days, and I and my friends from Holy Trinity Youth Club had a joyous procession round the town .to celebrate.
Nancie (nee' Harris)