Being Bourne

Mum and my older sisters, Margaret, Janet, Lesley and their dog Prince, were in their home when the Germans dropped incendiary bombs onto their top floor flat in Dalton Street, West Norwood, London, which was situated over a hardware shop that stored huge tanks of paraffin oil! Mum and Marg tried desperately to extinguish the fires but had to give up and flee in case the flames reached the tanks below.

Unfortunately, Prince went back looking for Dad who was on duty with the ambulance service at the time, so not there and died in the blaze. They all made their way to a nearby large warehouse opposite Dalton Street. It belonged to H Day and Son a removal company and furniture store for that night. Then they were moved to Carnac School in Carnac Street until they could be rehoused. After only two days the local council resettled them into an old three story Victorian house at 108 Rosendale Road, West Dulwich, London only half a mile from their old flat. While living there the bombs continued to drop for I dont know how long, but this house received quite a bit of structural damage.

My sisters were then evacuated to Cornwall in the West Country of England. After a while the eldest of the girls Margaret or Marg as we called her came back to Mum and Dad in London, Janet or Jane and Lesley or Les followed when it was safe.

Then late in 1944, a friend of the family, known to us as Aunt Mary, told Mum and Dad about a baby boy whose mother was going to have to give him up. They agreed to take this blue-eyed blond package and bring him up as one of their family. My sisters came to pick me up and take me to my new home.