Memories of a Northern Irish wartime childhood

These stories are from the early childhood of the contributor, Daniel James Sharkey, who was an eyewitness to the events of WW2.

He remembers air raid sirens, mostly false alarms. His mother didn't want to go into shelter they had under the stairs; they saw searchlights. Not many locals went to the shelters, and preferred field. There were AA guns around the town and docks. They jumped from shelter to shelter. When demolished, it became "the New Road - Westland Road". He also remembered when a very large water tank broke.

He remembers rationing and smuggling from the Republic of Ireland; there were many in on this black trade. He remembers Americans coming to live in civilian clothes. They built accommodation for U.S. servicemen, and shortly after, locals moved into these houses and stayed for many years. He remembers, as a child, soldiers manning AA guns allowing children to climb all over them. He remembered that the street was still thronged with sailors until 1970s.

His father, William, was a Radio Officer in the Navy and served in convoys. He has a memory of his father from towards the end of the war. He met him in the house, having never met him before, showing cold weather gear of Arctic Convoys. He rarely spoke about the war, but he was torpedoed near Freetown. He did tell one story to Daniel about how the most dangerous spot was the East Coast of England due to German aircraft and torpedoes.

Daniel's uncle, Hugh, served in the Territorial Army and then the Royal Artillery. He served in Londonderry and a Heavy AA Regiment in North Africa, mostly in Alexandria, Egypt, and then in Italy. Another uncle manned a First Aid post. Signs of this post were there until a 1980s redevelopment.