roving (#11744),
Thank you for "Blitz Street". I had experience of the Liverpool 'blitz' in the few months when I was on "Deferred Service" (ie, waiting for the RAF to get me a place in flying training): had it not been for the generosity of General "Hap" Arnold USAAC, who formulated the Scheme which bears his name, offering pilot training places in his US schools to us, I might've been waiting for years - such was the number who volunteered for the RAF in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Britain (and Churchill's deathless tribute to the 'Few').
We were living in Maghull (about eight miles north of the city centre) so did not get any bombs (
AFAIK), but at nights the shrapnel from the AA defences often rattled down on our house roofs like hail. Working in the city, I pedalled in on my bike; one morning half way in, I passed a "Road House" (pub); they had just laid out a beautiful bowling green in front, a 100 kg bomb had excavated the exact centre and most of the carefully levelled green .....
Closer in, there were much grimmer sights, survivors and bodies were being recovered from the shattered, smoking remains of what once were streets of houses. The Blitz did me, in a strange way, a good turn. Liverpool has a very large Irish population, most would be R.C.s. The first need of a bombed-out family (assuming they'd survived unharmed in their "Anderson Shelter" in the back garden) is somewhere to live.
The Archbishop had ordered the clergy of his diocese to scour their parishes for any they could find. Finding some is half the battle: you need transport to get the families and what small items they could salvage, to their new place. Our Curate, a family friend in Maghull had an Austin Ten. As the "ferry" work would leave him no time for his parish duties, Father Ramsbottom hit on the idea of recruiting me (a very willing volunteer) as a driver. He gave me a week's instruction (evenings and weekends) as soon as I reached 18, I passed the Test at the end of the week, and soon got plenty of blackout driving practice: he was free to get on with his Church work.
I think my having a driving licence (not common in a working class lad in 1940) may have swung the balance at my Selection Board.
Danny.