‘Britain at War’ Magazine, Green Arbor, Rectory Road, Storrington, West Sussex, RH20 4EF. LETTER OF THE MONTH LIVING WITH THE MORRISON SHELTER


SIR – I read with interest the article about the Morrison shelter, and it stirred many memories for me. We moved to South Croydon in 1941 when I was a baby, and my earliest memories are from 1943 onwards. We lived in Lismore Road, which is between Selsdon station and Croham Hurst.


We had aMorrison shelter in our sitting room and we had the front roomas ourmain living room. The sitting room was at the rear and faced the garden and was chosen for the shelter as it had a French window as well as the interconnecting door to the hallway which would have given a second way out in the event of a hit. At that time we had my mother, my grandmother, and two of my aunts living in the house, so during a raid we had four adults and me in the shelter.


The only one who found it a nuisance was one ofmy aunts who smoked heavily. As she couldn’t do that in the shelter with us in there, she used to stand by the French window smoking and watching the searchlights and the anti-aircraft shells exploding. My grandmother was always on at her daughter to “come away from the window!” It was a bit cramped but was preferred to taking cover under the stairs,


where there was even less space.


The shelter was put to the test in late July 1944, when a V1 fell in the back garden of the house across the road. At the time only my two aunts were in the house as the rest of us were visiting relatives in Nottingham. They were both in the shelter and were completely unharmed (if a bit deafened). The house across the road, on the other hand, was totally demolished and its two residents, who had been in an Anderson shelter in the back garden, were killed. Three bungalows in the road behind this house were also destroyed – I believe that there were three more fatalities there.Most of the deaths were due to blast rather than wounds.


Our house lost the front windows and surrounding brickwork but otherwise escaped more serious damage. We found a piece of the casing of the V1 embedded in the Pyracantha bush in the front garden. That was a great delight for a little boy!


We had many raids during 1943 and early 1944. These were mainly night attacks, with the odd daytime “tip and run” raid by Focke Wulf Fw190s.Needless to say the alarmwent frequently, so the shelter was well used.


Rod Ballantyne. By email. (IWMD2294)


contact@britain-at-war-magazine.com


OLDEST MEMBER OF RAF AIRCREW ENTITLED TO BATTLE OF BRITAIN CLASP


SIR – I noted with interest your inclusion of Flying Officer Sydney Carlin MC, DFC, DCM, RAFVR in your look at the Battle of Britain through numbers in Issue 39. Carlin was indeed a remarkable character, and not just because of his age.


A farmer at the outbreak of the FirstWorldWar, Sydney Carlin abandoned his chosen profession and enlisted in the British Army. Initially serving in the 18th Hussars (during which period hewas awarded theDCM), hewas commissioned in the Royal Engineers in 1915. He was badly wounded on the Western Front in 1916 during an action for which he was subsequently awarded theMC; so serious were his wounds that he lost a leg. Undeterred, following recuperation he transferred to the Royal Flying Corps. His wooden leg soon earned him the nickname “Timber Toes”.


After a period in which he served as an instructor, Carlin was posted to 74 Squadron on 26 May 1918. Again his luck held out for he survived a mid-air collision with his commanding officer whilst flying a Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5. Then on 21 September 1918, Carlin was captured by the Germans when he was shot down by SiegfriedWestphal of Jasta 29.


By this point he had achieved no less than ten victories – a figure which consisted of five German aircraft and five balloons. The wording of the citation for his DFC, in a supplement to The London Gazette on 2 November 1918, gives a small insight into his achievements: “A gallant and determined pilot, who sets a fine example to his squadron. Though handicapped by the loss of a leg, he is bold and skilful in attack…”


Following the Armistice, Sydney Carlin emigrated to Kenya and returned to farming. But, as you pointed out, this was not the only time that he would serve his country in its hour of need.


After the outbreak of a secondworldwar,Carlin found himself inMalta as aCaptain in the British Army. In keeping with his First World War service, he transferred to the RoyalAir Force.He duly served as an air gunner on night fighters and bombers, being posted to 264 Squadron at Kirton-in-Lindsey in August 1940. Carlin was therefore one of the extremely small number of men entitled to wear RFC wings and an air gunner’s brevet. Indeed, it has been said by some that he had two jackets – one with RFC wings on, whilst the other had air gunner wings – and that he would amuse everyone in the squadron bywearing a different jacket each day.


The author of the Letter of the Month may select a book of their choice (maximum value £25) from the extensive range of titles available at www.pen-and-sword.co.uk


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Having survived the Battle of Britain, and duly earned his entitlement to the Battle of Britain Clasp, Carlin was posted to 151 Squadron on 5 January 1941. On 9 May 1941, the squadron’s


AUGUST 2010


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