'I used to watch the dog fights in the sky'
“I used to go outside and lie back in the grass to watch the dog fights in the sky.”
Muir resident Derek Melvin was just a year old when the Second World War broke out, but as the conflict developed he can recall seeing Spitfires and Hurricane aircraft battling with Messerschmitt’s in the skies above Dagenham.
Born in 1938, Derek grew up in the Essex town watching sights like that unfold during his early years.
“It was just a part of growing up,” he said. “To us kids it was just normality.”
“You could see the vapour trails and sometimes hear the engines of the planes as well.
“I would watch them a lot, especially in the summer.
“I remember when one of our planes, either a Spitfire or a Hurricane, was shot down and landed in front of one of the shops near where we lived.
“Some of the places used to get bombed and we would go and play in the ruins.”
“There were a few bombs dropped around where we lived – one took out about eight or nine homes.
“We were on the doorstep to central London so air raids were common,” he remembers.
“The German planes were mainly after the London docks. We weren’t all that far from them.”
Now aged 78, Derek has been a Muir resident for 14 years and lives in Huntingdon.
“In the evenings you couldn’t have lights on so you just had candle light.
“You could hear the air raid sirens going off. My parents would put me under the stairs at a house belonging to a friend of the family, to get me away from the damp Anderson shelter.
“Later you would hear the all clear being sounded.”
When he turned 18, Derek saw a different view of conflict, like so many who went on to do National Service.
“I think National Service should still be around,” he said.
“I really enjoyed it. It never did me any harm.
“Before that I had never been outside of England in my life so it was a great experience.
“I was based in Singapore and Malaya. Sometimes I would be checking ammunition boxes for loading during the campaign out there.
“I remember sailing back via the Suez Canal – It was incredible.”
Derek also strongly believes that annual Remembrance events should be retained in order to recognise those who have sacrificed their lives for their country.
“Remembrance Sunday is something that should remain forever,” he added.
