91�ȱ�

During my service I actually went on a course to learn about the Rolls Royce engine which powered the tanks which were being built. They were having trouble with billeting— there were no barracks. The very first night I got there, we had an air raid and we had to spend the night in a shelter in the garden. That was the only night I spent in a shelter. For the next 10 days or so I went backwards and forwards to my own camp.

One day when I went back the place wasn’t there anymore, it had been bombed out! I had to find another billet.

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Becky Barugh of the 91�ȱ� Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Herbert Lewis and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Herbert's stories:

• A long sort of sock
• ”All genuine tickets please”
• All sorts
• I had to sit on the front of the tank
• ’Kitted out for civilian life’
• Shropshire during the war
• Riding a horse up the steps
• It seemed a bit of a silly thing to have to do
• The first of the V1’s
• There was always plenty of cheese
• We weren’t told…

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