tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post1961623695777528603..comments2024-01-03T17:54:31.012+00:00Comments on WW2: A Civilian in the Second World War: 29th September 1940E J Rudsdalehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11884606063821044751noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post-87485943816420053582015-06-30T23:02:48.929+01:002015-06-30T23:02:48.929+01:00My family bought the house at 55 Park Crescent in ...My family bought the house at 55 Park Crescent in Enfield in 1942. There was a huge crater in the field behind the house, which we were told was caused by a land mine. It was filled with water, and was quite dangerous for the local children, but no one drowned. We left the UK in January 1946, in the company of Lord Waldorf and Lady Nancy Astor. In those days passage to America was quite precious, which was why the Astors were with us on a banana boat. The weather was quite dreadful. The supposed six-day crossing took 13 days. Churchill passed us in mid-Atlantic on the Queen Elizabeth. We've lived in the U.S. ever since, but a child's memory is quite tenacious.TomShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03594332722296764107noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post-77285966716759258652012-02-21T13:18:33.562+00:002012-02-21T13:18:33.562+00:00Thank you for sharing the story of your family'...Thank you for sharing the story of your family's experiences on the night of 29th September 1940 with us. What a terrible ordeal it must have been. I do hope Mr. Francis sees your message and gets in contact. I will pass on a message to you if he contacts me. Good luck and best wishes, CPE J Rudsdalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11884606063821044751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post-62730820416956295662012-02-20T23:22:41.782+00:002012-02-20T23:22:41.782+00:00My Grandfather's family all lost their lives t...My Grandfather's family all lost their lives to a bomb on the night of the 29th September 1940. They lived at 64, Beverley Gardens, Wembley and the house took a direct hit with the bomb apparently coming down via the chimney. Amazingly the clock on the mantle survived and is still running to this day. However, on the 60th anniversay fell off my mother's mantle in the middle of the night.....she consequently had that damage and the wartime damage repaired.<br />I am hoping that Mr Francis who was a child at the time in the house next door may get in touch. I have seen his post on another site but sadly am unable to contact him.Howlett ancestorshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09584240122714595275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post-62648640032048682522010-09-30T10:27:52.950+01:002010-09-30T10:27:52.950+01:00Thank you for sharing this account, Barbara - it m...Thank you for sharing this account, Barbara - it makes a very interesting parallel with Eric's experiences in London on the same day. It also highlights the widespread use of land mines, which Eric also discusses. Enfield had a lucky escape from the unexploded landmine and the drifting parachute mine on this occasion. The bomb disposal squads certainly had their work cut out. CPE J Rudsdalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11884606063821044751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4841718718195447808.post-16516979850326077602010-09-30T09:45:38.081+01:002010-09-30T09:45:38.081+01:00This is an account from my Grandfather written in ...This is an account from my Grandfather written in Enfield when E J Rudsdale was visiting London on Setpember 29th.<br />"There was a bit of excitement on Monday to Saturday night. Jerry dropped two land mines. One in the Enfield Town Park & one just outside Enfield on Bush Hill Park golf course. The former didn't explode, but the latter did & bust up nearly all the shop windows in Enfield. The one in the park they decided to dismantle on Monday and shut up all the shops & cleared folks out of Enfield town while they did it. Even the telephone exchange was evacuated. The best was nearly 9 feet long and weighed almost a ton. It's a blessing it didn't go off.<br />On Wednesday night a couple made a mess of Golders Green & wiped out a family of six, among others. The man frequently came to the works at Brimsdown, we knew him well.<br />Tuesday night we had a good display. One of these landmines was caught in the searchlights as it was coming down by parachute. I heard every gun in the district blazing away, so went to look what it was all about and saw umpteen searchlights on this queer object with shells bursting all around it. But the weirdest was the way the tracer shells seemed to be climbing up the searchlights only to drop off before they reached the top. Hundreds of red and yellow tracer shells went at it. We watched it drift from our neighbourhood out of our gunfire & later heard it explode in the air over Cheshunt district. Except for a few roofs, doors and windows, it did little damage.<br />The nearest they have been to us is to drop two on successive nights near the tube station."Barbara Critchleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10968743821876236261noreply@blogger.com