Hawker Hurricane Peartree Derby

100 Peartree 006
Originally uploaded by seansonofbig

After reading this article decided to investigate myself. I reckon the crash occurred somewhere along the left embankment. It is obviously too dangerous to get closer as trains constantly pass by. My father grew up during the war in the neighbouring streets to this park and railway track. He often played around here but has no recollection of this incident or the children involved. In his day there were no trees in the area so the story becomes more plausible

We decided to go for a walk around the area where he recounted his memories of an air raid on Derby. Unfortunately the street where he lived has recently been mostly pulled down and is being 'redeveloped', so I was unable to get any illustrative photo's.

To this day he remembers the exact spot where a bomb landed that blew a neighbours house to smithereens. " Did you hear it?" I asked him. " Not so much heard it as f%$nk felt it" was his uncharacteristic reply? Apparently the blast tore off the neighbours clothing but left him uninjured apart from not being able to hear for a few days and a bit embarrassed. At the time my father was an 11 year boy who endured the raids trembling under the stairs with what he called the augie? He later went on to serve in the RAF himself. I'm relieved not to be showing my kids the 4 mile crater where Derby used to be.