Helen Stewart painted South Benfleet in the 1940’s and we have some of her work on the site. On Thursday 8th August 2013 she made a recording of her memories of Benfleet. Highlights include:
- Memories of being in South Benfleet School.
- Having to take the 11+ three times due to air raids interrupting the exam.
- Being strafed on Benfleet railway station in 1943. (Sheet 7)
- The attack on Canvey oil tanks in 1940. (Sheet 1)
- Not knowing about the V2 on Benfleet.
- Her father Walter Pickford the church organist and choirmaster.
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This was told to be by my mum. During WWII she was doing some courting around Hadleigh Castle when a German plane, using the the river as a quick guide home, saw her and flew low giving her a thumbs up probably thinking he would hopefully be doing some courting himself if and when he got home. Right up to her final days mum would often wonder if he was lucky in his hopes.
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