War tragedy of caring Ivy, the last v2 victim

By Charles Langley

It was a quiet evening in Orpington when death fell from the sky and elevated two unremarkable suburban streets into world history. Almost exactly 50 years ago - on Tuesday 27 March,1945, at 5 p.m. - the last V2 rocket plunged on to the back gardens dividing Court and Kynaston Roads.

At 88 Kynaston Road Ivy Millichamp was in the kitchen overlooking the garden. She took the full force of the one-ton warhead and became the last person to die from enemy action in Britain.

Her husband Eric, a shift worker, was asleep in the front room and, although injured, he survived. Ivy was just 34 and had spent most of her life caring for unmarried mothers and orphaned children.

Fate could hardly have picked on anyone more blameless, or less deserving a violent end, with which to close the chapter of 62,000 civilian war deaths in Britain.

Two of her sisters, Mollie and Enid, are still alive but even now they find it too painful to talk about. Mollie, who lives in Sussex, explained: "It was a shock to us all and still is, and will be for the rest of our lives.

"We don't want to forget, but we don't want to make a thing of it. It's a very personal tragedy and very traumatic. We knew it would all come up again this year with the family and we don't feel there's anything else we can say".

At 71 Court Road, Evelyn Driscoll was just 18 and entertaining her friend Daphne, who was in the Waafs, to tea. Now 68 and living in Bromley, she recalls: "I don't remember any explosion or bang, just an awareness of suddenly stumbling around.

"There was a lot of glass in the room, including french windows, and I was sitting facing them. I took the flying glass in my face and it severed a small artery in my temple.

"I have a very vague recollection of being sat in a chair in the street. The next thing I remember is waking up in hospital".

At New Zealand House in London her sister Lorna was just leaving from her new job as a shorthand typist when the rocket landed.

"There was a rumour that my sister had been killed, but of course it wasn't true and when I found out we were all alive I was relieved more than anything".

Now Lorna Mackenzie and living near her sister in Bromley, she looks back on it all with almost a sense of wonder. "My father was lucky to survive. He was in the kitchen and the door was blown off but fell at such an angle it protected him.

"The explosion was so close in actually powdered the glass, and that may have saved my sister's life".

No one knows what happened to Evelyn's friend Daphne, or can even remember her second name. "She just disappeared and we feel rather dreadful about it," said Lorna. "She survived the explosion but by the time we got round to asking about her weeks had passed and she had vanished.

"We know she lived in Heathfield Road, Bromley. We'd be delighted to hear from her". (Evening Standard)

Q u e s t i o n s:

1. What is the theme of the story?

2. Where is the lead?

3. Is there a personal focus in the story?

4. What elements of the feature can you identify?

5. Is the style of the story different from that of a straight news story?

6. In what way is it different?

Assignment 8.

Read the following article also about the World War II and identify the way of presenting material.