Beryl Flux on being shot at from German planes

“The planes used to come over when we were potato picking or anything, doing Brussel sprout picking and they would shoot. They’d always have their machine guns going up over … what’s the Pub at the top there? Going towards Newport. In to Godshill, that way? The Chequers yes.

“They’d come over from France more or less I suppose and they’d go back out over Cowes or they’d come in Cowes way and go out that way, Ventnor way. But they’d machine gun you in the field, yeah, we used to dive down and I said, “One day they just pushed me in the stinging nettles.”

“Oh, it was awful when I came out of it. It was bad enough I even stayed in it but they just machine gunned anywhere, it didn’t matter. But there, those days are gone and I hope they’re gone forever (laughs).”