Aged Woman’s Spirit

Franklin Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6, 17 January 1941, Page 3

Aged Woman’s Spirit

SLEEPS THROUGH AIR RAIDS

THE SPIRIT OF ENGLAND Every letter that comes from England breathes of courage, determination to win, and defiance .of Hitler, lull surely full marks for these attributes must go to the writer of the following letter, just after the big attack on Coventry, to a resident of Rangitoto, outside of Te Kuiti Incidentally, the writer is nearly eighty years old. crippled with rheumatism‘but. full of fire and confidence. Giving the Truth "You see we are still in the land of the living, but it’s not Hitler’s fault that we are,” she writes. “The Midlands have been having it in the neck the last week or two —Coventry and Birmingham the worst. The German wireless say that they have utterly destroyed Coventry—of course, it’s a lie. they have done nothing of the kind. They have done a lot of damage and killed a lot of people, but Coventry is still living and carrying on. When the King was there the other day, some of the people told him that they were ruined but they were still happy and full of determination to down Hitler and they could take all that was coming to them. That’s courage if you like.

Raid After Raid “We have not had to go through what they have, poor things. We have still got a roof over our heads and enough food and warm clothing, and are very thankful. The Germans razed Derby to the ground some months ago. so they say—of course, another lie —they destroyed a picture house and row of workmen’s cottages, killed a few people, and tried to destroy our big new hospital, but they hit some houses at the back and the hospital was not touched. They don't let us alone, though. They are over each night, flying round and round, making an awful noise just to keep people in their shelters and not let them sleep, and dropping bombs here and there. We had a quiet night last night, hut the night before they were at it from dusk until daylight. It's a funny thing, but they have not found the most important place here yet : they say they have, hut they have not. It’s still going full blast, not one bomb has been dropped on it. It is only a stone’s throw from where we live/so 1 hope they never find it.

Use of Shelters “We have part of a shelter and all our neighbours have shelters, but tbis last week they have not been able to use them as we have had such a lot of rain, and each shelter has .. four feet of water in it. Jt does not mailer much to us for we have not used our shelter for some time—it’s too small to be comfortable. Arthur and Nellie have made the little sitting-room into a bedroom. It has French windows with wooden shutters, and a yard away they have built a concrete wall two feet thick and a good height, so it makes the room blast-proof. They have one double lied and one single and a couch. That is all the room holds. I sleep upstairs and when the raids are very had Nellie fetches me down. The raids do not frighten me. I have this for my pillow each night: T will both lay me down and sleep, for Thou Lord makes I me dwell in safety,’ and [ do sleep through all the noise. “Hitler, the Devi!” “It will he grand when the war is over, but I don’t want it to he over until we have got Hitler and his gang under our fecL and, my word, won’t we jump on him! It doesn’t sound very Christian —I know Christ told us to love our enemies, hut He did not tell us to love the Devil, and Hitler is the very Devil. Well, he will get what he deserves, I’m sure of that. If he thinks he is going to conquer England, he lias got another ‘think’ coining,” the writer concludes.