Castle261. In my isolation, I'm looking back to earlier posts. Yes, I can believe it- just!- for the idea was to get children out of the " target areas". However, the fact that you walked all the way from Newington & back on a Sunday is amazing. I know we walked everywhere before the war- buses cost money!- & we used to walk to my Aunt & Uncle in Palmerston Road from Gillingham cemetery for Sunday tea on occasion, but Newington! Part 2; my memories of WW2. July 1942 home aged 12 to start school at the County in 3rd Ave. Air raids were ongoing but mostly passing over the Medway towns to some other poor souls. (In retrospect, it seems strange that the Medway towns got off so lightly for we had the Dockyard, Shorts(2 sites), Royal Marines, Royal Engineers, HMS Pembroke, et al.). However, you never knew, so nights were often spent in our Anderson shelter in the back garden, sometimes being awoken by the siren( on Woodlands Road museum) in the early hours & hurrying down there in the dark. Often the ack ack battery by Gillingham golf course would open up- so loud it sounded like "next door"! And twice the" Z battery" between the top of Cornwallis Ave. & Beatty Ave. sent their rockets up. The whole sky lit up orange so was a bit frightening the first time. It seems that they could only be fired if the enemy a/c were over the Medway estuary because of the debris they left. My dad was in the Home Guard & manned these from time to time, but not when they were fired. I remember when he was issued with his rifle, my elder sister & I fought to hold it & smashed the living room lampshade! He wore glasses for reading & said he put them on the see the sights but couldn't see the target, so took them off to see that...! My sister was in the Land Army, based on a farm in Hoo. Which was very convenient for the No.19 bus went Cemetery to Hoo! She came home at week ends when not working. My Dad , an electrical fitter on submarines, worked all hours. Left home at 07.00, cycled to work for 07.30 & usually got back at 18 or 19.00. Fire picket in the Yard 1 night a month & Home Guard every w/end- & once a month a night on the "Z Battery". I never heard him complain! My friend next door, Roy Barnard, went to Holcombe Tech. & was given Aircraft of the Fighting Powers Vol.1 for Christmas. I borrowed it & that started me off on making model aircraft out of wood. My Dad was able to get me offcuts of various woods from the Yard & everything was made by hand with saw, chisel, plane, file & sandpaper in "the shed". At school we had a model club & someone was able to get genuine dope of the right colours & put it into small jars. Transfers were available from a model shop in the High Street to finish the models. From then on, I put all my b'day & C'mas money ( + some from my paper round) toward buying Vols.2,3,4,5,6,& 7. So I virtually knew every aircraft flying in the world( I also had the Aeroplane Spotter weekly) & had dozens of models hanging up from the ceiling in my bedroom by the time the war ended. At school we had ground level air raid shelters, brick walls & concrete slab roof, with wooden forms running along each side. When the air raid siren went we filed out & in, until the all clear. I joined the School scout troop- 43rd Medway- in the Kingfisher patrol ( P/L, Pete Kentsbeer, Ken Everest, "Lucy" Locket, me, John Boulter- later of B&W Minstrels fame- & John Noble). Our motto was " Swift Yet Sure" ; nowadays my motto is "Slow & Hopefully Sure"! I had a great time there, Saturdays in Tank Woods- across from Darland Banks having twist & damper competitions & camping in Hoath Woods. Later in the war, I borrowed my Dad's bike to become an ARP runner at the w/ends. By that time the doodle bugs had arrived, all day & every day, very occasionally at night. The pulse jet was very distinctive- I can hear it now! Mostly they were just passing overhead going West, but a few did come down in the Medway area. One in particular i remember for the result was devastating. The coastal express -full- was on its way to London & was between Sittingbourne & Rainham when a Mustang " tipped"( wing under wing, so lifting upset the stabilising gyro & down!). It landed on a road bridge a short distance before the train, which had no chance of stopping & many were killed & injured. If you look at the map; A2 running E/W, parallel to railway, every so often a lane N/S. Nothing but agricultural land for miles. And Bang, one bridge! From then on, I've always believed in fate! I didn't do too well at the County on the academic side- Latin, etc.- so took the Shorts entrance exam in 1945, going there as an apprentice fitter & sheet metal worker in July 1945 at 15. We had day release + one evening to go to the Medway Tech. in Gardner St. G'ham & I did so much better there. The next year I joined 312 Sqdn. ATC ( City of Rochester), so my love of aircraft continued. I've passed VE day( see my comments elsewhere) so goodbye for now. Any Qestions?