Sylvia's Story
Sylvia Symmons was only seven years old when the Swansea blitz started on 19th February 1941. Here, 75 years later, she tells her story:
"I lived with my mother, father and grandparents at Chaddesley Terrace, Swansea. It was a large house and another couple, whom I called uncle and auntie, shared our home.. In fact the house was large enough to cater for five soldiers posted to the area.
My Dad was a special constable with the police as he had failed the medical for the forces because of a heart problem. Below is a photograph of him with his car outside the Civic Centre in Swansea. The side ot the car has a dent made by flying debris in an air reaid. His regular job was projectionist at the Castle Cinema, where his claim to fame was that he screened the first movie with sound starring Al Jolson.
On the first night of the blitz the sirens sounded just after 7:30pm and my mother got me out of bed to go under the stairs. This was after she looked out of the window and up at the sky and said with shock horror that there were thousands of them. My auntie looked and laughed when she saw what my mother had seen - 'you are looking at the stars,' she said. It was a clear sky and with the blackout the stars were very visible.
Our house was near the top of Constitutional Hill and therefore overlooking the centre of Swansea. On one of the three nights of the blitz, I remember leaving the under the stairs shelter to peep out of the windows to see a few of the German planes being shot down over Swansea Bay. The anti-aircraft guns were positioned on the embankment at Mumbles Road and were all facing seawards.
On the second night of the blitz a land-mine landed in our front garden and the blast blew in our windows. When my father came home I remember him rushing to see if his beloved baby-grand piano was damaged. It was fortunately unmarked because it was covered with heavy blankets.
During the raids the posted soldiers covered us with their bodies when the bombs sounded close.
On the third night of the blitz we stayed in the same house because only the windows at the front were damaged. I remember my Dad telling me that the Castle Cinema had survived the bombing except that an incendiary bomb had caused a minor fire in a store room at the back of the building.
From our house we could see Swansea burning, a sight that light up the night sky and one I will always remember.
On the fourth night no-one knew what to expect and it was a relief when the sirens did not sound - but listening out for them was a feeling I will not forget.
Later during the war my father became the chief projectionist and engineer at the Empire Cinema in Neath. Moving to Neath and away from the air raids was heavenly. Dad, however, returned to Swansea when Prime Minister Winston Churchill came to the town and pinned service medals on all those who played their part in the blitz and the air-raids that followed. Dad felt privillaged to shake the hand of the Prime Minister and receive his medal, which I stlll have to this very day."
Sad ending
Sylvia Symmons (Griffin) sadly died on 18th July 2018 at the age of 84, leaving her husand and three gown-up childeren.
