The Swansea Blitz

Through the Eyes of a Child by Marion Garnett

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The Swansea Blitz Through the Eyes of a Child

TheThird Night of the Blitz, Friday 21st February 1941

by Marion Garnett (née McDonald)

My grandparents kept the public house on the corner of Oxford Street and Portland Street known as ’The Kings Head Arms.' which was owned by Fulton, Dunlop & Co, My Mother and I lived with them above the pub. My father was a Gunner serving away in the Royal Artillery.

Swansea Covered Market, pre-war

The Kings Head Arms Public House, on the corner of Oxford Street and Portland Street

On the third night of the Blitz, my mother was in the doorway of the Dolcis Shoe Shop across the road from the pub, and a fireman told her that she had better move because the whole place would soon be up in flames. She told him that her baby was in the pub, and he told her that she just had time to get me out.

She carried me out and together with my grandparents, hurried down to the air-raid shelter by St. Mary’s Church during which, she said that she stepped over bodies. In the air-raid shelter, there was a billiard table and two boys were playing on it. They were asked to stop so that I could lie on it during the night. The centre of Swansea was bombed and on fire and everything we had went up in flames. All we had were the clothes we were wearing!

When morning came, my grandparents took me to Russell Street, where my Aunt Edith lived. My Mother needed to get over to St. Thomas where her parents lived, to let them know that we were safe. She had a terrible time trying to get through all the rubble, pipes and had to get over to Margaret Street the back way, coming down the Street. My Nana was outside talking to a neighbour and said “look at this poor girl coming down the street” and the neighbour said, “that’s Edna your daughter”. My Nana didn’t recognise her own daughter, as she was in such a state, having gone through three nights of the Blitz and the terrible ordeal, the bombing, fire and making her way over there. My grandfather came back from town where he had been to search for us.

After a while my Mother and her sister, went to get me. When they got to the bridge the firemen would not let them go across because it wasn’t. safe. You had to be careful where to step with dangerous areas and pipes everywhere. After a lot of pleading and my Mother was crying, they were allowed to go, providing they were very careful.

We got back to Nana’s and my Mother said she would not stay in Swansea another night. My Grandpa’s family lived in Haverfordwest so Nana, Grandpa, Molly and my Mother carrying me with red woollen gloves on my feet to keep warm, walked all the way to HIgh Street station to catch a train to Haverfordwest. The station was packed with servicemen coming and going. As we walked up to the carriage my father got off the train. He had seen Swansea burning from where he was stationed and had permission to come and see if we were safe. He went to Russell Street to see his Mother and we all travelled down to Haverfordwest. The train was absolutely packed and only Nana had a seat with me on her knee. We got off the train and by this time it was pitch dark. The village of Prendergast was at the top of a very steep hill, and we were all very tired, especially my Mother who had been through so much. A car was driving past and Grandpa flagged it down and asked if he would give us a lift up the hill. He asked where we were from and as soon as he knew we were from Swansea he told us all to get in.He had heard how badly Swansea had been hit and was pleased to help.

We stayed with Grandpa’s relatives for two nights and then returned to Swansea. We settled in with Nana and Grandpa and my father was posted to West Africa.

It had been very hard for my mother during the Blitz, but there was always a glimmer of hope that when my father came home from the war ‘'everything would be alright again''.

Eighteen months later my mother and I had been to the Post Office in town to collect her Army Pay. When we got home, we walked into the hall and Nana was standing at the end of the passage holding a telegram in her hand and handed it to my Mother. It said my father was missing presumed killed. He had been torpedoed on his way home from West Africa, My Mother sat in the big armchair by the fire crying. I will never forget this scene, it was my first memory. Nana taking my coat off and neighbours coming in and standing there. My Mother had lost her home and everything in it and now she had lost her husband. I had lost my father.

In the early 1950’s when Swansea was being redeveloped, the excavators. were digging up the site in Oxford Street where we had lived and a child’s metal trike was discovered amongst the rubble. It was my bike.
That was all that remained from an earlier life.

A view of Portland Street, c.1950, looking towards Oxford Street and the entrance to the bombed Swansea Market.

Marion McDonald, 1943

John Lachlan McDonald

Gunner, 1704562, with the 64 Lt. A.A.Bty., 4 H.A.A Regt., Royal Artillery, W. African Force.

Died 30 October 1942, aged 30. Lost at sea near Madeira, from S.S. President Doumer.

Remembered with Honour on Panel 3, Col. 2 at BROOKWOOD MEMORIAL, Surrey.

Husband of Edna May McDonald, 91, Castle Road, Mumbles; son of Mr. & Mrs. R. McDonald.

Father of Marion Garnett nee McDonald.

Marion Garnett, at the unveiling of the Southend, Mumbles Memorial, 2011

Postscript: Over the years, Marion, thought that the Pub might have been named, 'The Fulton',. She later did research in the Library and concluded that the pub on the corner of Oxford Street and Portland Street was actually named, The Kings Head Arms, 262, Oxford Street, Swansea. We are pleased to be able to confirm her research and that it was owned by Fulton, Dunlop & Co, who were perhaps better known for being Wine Merchants, rather than Pub Landlords. On the site of the Pub today, can be found a modern building which houses a branch of Barclays Bank, also numbered 262, Oxford Street, Swansea.

A list of the 25 Public Houses in Swansea, which were destroyed in the Second World War, includes this Public House.