Sneak Raider

It happened very early one morning
Just about as the day was dawning.
An enemy plane low across the channel did streak,
Dropped a string of bombs, opposite. Havoc wreak.

The noise, the shock woke me; no roof above my head!
Lumps of concrete, bits of tiles lay on my bed.
Houses opposite, they were no longer there;
Firemen came, shifted rubble with great care.

The Anderson shelter, firemen were after,
Guided by the bounds of great laughter.
They pulled him out, limb gone, no blood,
Tears of laughter from him did flood.

Helping him to stand, does it hurt much?
"No" he said, swinging 'round on a crutch!
Don't fuss or worry, this leg's a good 'n,
The one blown off was only a wood 'n.

They can't have that leg anymore
They had it in the first World War!


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One day a bomber, shot up in emergency did flop
Finally on a bridge, came to a stop.
One of ours, what a sight to see,
Ladies nearby plied the crew with tea.

Older boys came from everywhere.
Before too long they'd stripped it bare.
In senior school on off many things;
Bullets, steering column, to Perspex rings.

Most things, of course, had to be returned
By boys - with prestige they had earned.
At that time when things were so bad,
With many things that could not be had.

From crashed plane, or downed pilot
Came one thing that could not be got.
When those white parachutes floated down
Ladies only saw white silk wedding gowns.

Older ladies to the landing site did run,
Brooms at the ready in case it was a Hun.
In most cases they were quite fair,
Holding until the police got there.