Peter Silver - 1938-2020

PETER SILVER - from 1938

I was born in Kent Road in 1938.   I can remember a little of World War 2. My father joined the RAF. Before that he was a steam engine driver.   I can remember the air raids; mostly at night going down to our Anderson Shelter, very cold and damp; searchlights over Wouldham; gun shots. All you could hear was shrapnel falling on the dugout roof and breaking glass etc. We put our car on irons all through the war.

I remember myself and my friend Barry Austin collecting a spare petrol container dropped from a passing aeroplane, still with a little petrol in it.  I also remember going up the woods following the dropped metal strips, when a bomber crashed killing all the crew.  We had two V1s falling in the village but no damage or injuries.  At school we had some children from Ramsgate etc. One girl went home to visit her mother but never came back - air raid victim?   My mother was wounded in an air raid at New Hythe.  In the hard winter of 1947 the School was never closed.

There seemed to be a lot of processions as we were forever putting flags out.  I can remember going over to Wouldham on the Bailey Bridge. That was taken down in 1946 because the barges could not get under it.

In Kent Road in the 1940’s there were 4 shops   - Wraights, Tidys, Fish Shop and Beadles.

In 1947 we walked around the village looking at the new electric street lighting replacing pre-war gas lamps.  Also remember going hop-picking at Pyes Cuxton.

Peter Silver