My War Years.

A Memory of Woodbeck.

I was born in 1931 at Mount Vernon N.H in nearby East Retford. My father was a charge warder at Rampton State Institution. Woodbeck was the exclusive housing estate for staff working at the State Institution.
We were allocated a Staff House at number 44 Woodbeck.
I remember particularly the war years 1939 -`45 and as I found out later, we were on the direct bombing line for the German Bombers attacking the industrial cities of Sheffield and Coventry. As I found out later they were directed by "beams" from Europe and flew directly over us at Woodbeck. As a boy I used to stand outside our back door watching the searchlights arc across the sky and hear and feel the blast of the AA guns opening up.
I am 81yrs old now but still remember those years and the blackout & rationing and the wailing of the sirens and crashing, vibration of the Ack - Ack guns.
Cliff Charlesaworth