For Jim Early, 71, the very first thing he could remember was the Dublin bombing by the Germans in World War 2. He was only a three-year-old child at the time when he witnessed the ceiling falling.
Mr. Jim, who used to be a retail buyer, was born and bred in Dublin, Ireland. Soon after his marriage, he moved to Swansea and has been living there since. Psychologically, your earliest memory should have some significance in order to be remembered in the first place. In his Irish accent, he spoke of his earliest memory in the raid. “I could remember the ceiling falling on top of my head”. At the time, he was too young to even be scared, yet he vividly recalled details of the German attack.
It was in the early morning when the planes approached Dublin and bombs began to fall. The vibration was so strong that it could knock down something “as high as a hill”. Fortunately, Mr. Jim and his family were not injured, “It was only plaster so I wasn’t hurt”; but their house was considerably damaged. In the series of tragic events, he also witnessed “planes crashing directly onto the sea”, explosions and numerous policemen around the area. Despite the fact Ireland had claimed its neutrality in the war, the bombing was said to have claimed 43 lives.
Now with grandchildren to visit in Swanage, Mr. Jim seemed pleased and delighted. With the war behind, perhaps such childhood memories would prove to be valuable history lessons for his offspring someday.
