|
NEW
11-04-2006
I was very interested with the photos of the damage done by the landmine that dropped on Second Avenue Farlington.
I lived in Second Avenue and was 8 years old at the time the mine dropped. Second Avenue was in two parts one end was adopted and one end was not, this resulted in one end being tarmac road with pavements and the other end had nothing done to it at all. I lived in a house close to the end with St Andrews Rd. When it rained in front of our house it was like a huge
lake. We lived at the rough end of the road but it was the tarmac end that got the
mine [very nicely put!].
At the time we had 16 people living in our house most of which had come out of town and thought it was safer. I remember my uncle built a temporary cooking range at the back of the house to try and satisfy everyone living there. After the landmine dropped and all our windows were blown out all the visitors from the town soon left and we were back to just my mum and dad and my brother.
On the morning after the mine had dropped I remember going to have a look and remember seeing this huge crater in the middle of the road and where the houses were completely demolished only the brick shelters remained standing. When you had a brick shelter you had to supply your own door and all the doors had been blown off. Also in the back of each shelter was an escape hole which consisted of about two feet square of brickwork which was laid with just sand courses and these also had been blown out.
Although as kids we were not supposed to be anywhere
near were the landmine dropped they couldn't keep us away and proof that we had been there was to come away with some of the silk rope from the parachute which was attached to the mine.
Since being married I have lived in the Drayton area for nearly forty five years and I often walk through Second Ave and look at the house I lived in at the time.
Brian Ward - April 2006 |
