Six Sentence Stories is a weekly writers’ challenge hosted by Denise at Girlie on the Edge blog. This week’s cue word is: SHELTER
Editor’s note: The following Six Sentence Story is a true story involving my maternal great-grandmother and paternal great-grandmother, both of who were called Elsie. In the Second World War, the city of Birmingham, England, suffered 365 air raid alerts and 77 actual air raids. There were over 9,000 casualties during these raids, of whom 2,241 civilians were killed. My paternal great-grandmother Elsie Waight was among this number.
In 2010 I visited the memorial in Birmingham ‘The Tree of Life’ – a sculpture by the artist Lorenzo Quinn made and dedicated to the memory of the Birmingham civilians who lost their lives in the Blitz. After hearing the story of what happened passed down by family members over the years, it was an emotional experience for me to visit the memorial and see the name of a family member I never had chance to meet.
A Tale of Two Elsies
Some had Anderson shelters in their back gardens, while others took shelter in the nearest tube station, and others made their shelter in the cellars of their home.
Elsie Waight and Elsie Lawrence were both at home that day, while their sons fought on foreign lands and their daughters assembled rifles at the Birmingham Small Arms factory.
The two elder women were looking after my mum’s elder cousin Michael, who was three or four years old at the time (Mum hadn’t even been born yet).
When the air raid siren went off, the two Elsies took Michael down the cellar for shelter – as they had done many times before during the hellish hours of the Birmingham Blitz.
It was then that Micheal began crying and demanding a glass of water, and what with so many false alarms before, and no near-misses, Elsie Waight volunteered to go upstairs to fetch him his glass of water.
You don’t need to me say what happened next, other than only one Elsie survived that day, and that the other Elsie would become a name on a memorial for her great-grandson to one day stare at and shed a small tear.
The Tree of Life by Lorenzo Quinn
The Tree of Life unveiled, BBC Birmingham
A Tale of Two Elsies by Ford Waight. January 20. 2022. Photos of The Tree of Life memorial taken by Ford in 2010.
The Atomic Mage 
Beautiful remembrance of Elsie Waight.
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Thank you, Frank.
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It was a sad, terrible time. You told the story very well.
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Thank you, Mimi.
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A sad piece which, just like the memorial, makes one stop and reflect.
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Thank you, Jacob. Yes, it was a strange and reflective feeling seeing that memorial the first time and the name engraved there among so many others.
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That’s such a tragic story, Ford. Had it been just few minutes earlier…
I walked just 20 feet from the site of one of the IRA bombs that was planted in Manchester in the 1990; twenty minutes later the office block in which I was working shook and we heard the explosion.
Very poignant to see her name on that memorial with that amazing sculpture above it.
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Thanks Chris. Man, you were lucky to have avoided that attack!
Yes, the sculpture is amazing and was brilliant to see standing so tall there.
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The painful reality of wars.
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True, Cassa. Thank you.
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Just damn Mage. You see and hear the folk of today who are inconvenienced by their “loss of freedoms” because they have to have an injection or wear a mask to protect others then I read this story of a real loss of freedom and of a precious life. Makes you wonder about today’s society.
In a strange way Elsie Waight’s name stands out from that list, probably because fortunately (I think this is the right word) Elsie was the only member of the Waight household taken.
A superb tribute, thanks for sharing.
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Thanks FT, that’s a good point. Luckily no one else was taken from the family throughout the war either home or abroad.
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Lest we forget, brother…lest we forget.
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Thank you Spira.
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Thank you for sharing, V. Little can we know. A simple act, of bravery and love, ended your great-grandmother’s life, affecting so many others; not only in the immediate, but for generations. To echo FT’s concluding comment, a beautiful tribute to Elsie Waight.
P.S. I find it fascinating both of your great-grandmothers had the same first name.
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Thank you, D. Yes, it’s quite a thing that both were named Elsie.
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A touching tale indeed, thanks for sharing it with us.
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Thank you, Keith.
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A poignant family tale, told in elegant, simple detail. Beautiful tribute, as is the sculpture and wall of names. ❤
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Thanks so much, Liz. I think this was my ‘straightest story’ so far. You’re right, the sculpture and the wall of names is a beautiful tribute 🤍
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War is an abomination. The suffering spreads its tentacles wide. Thank you for sharing that story, Ford. A beautiful tribute to Elsie Waight
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Well said, Jenne. Thank you.
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What an infernal clockwork reality can be, especially when seized by those intent only on imposing their will.
Outstanding Six, yo
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Thank you, Clark.
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Poignant and pointed, TAM. Seems we were telepathically on the same page this week.
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Thanks so much, Doug. Yeah, we were for sure on the same page for this Six!
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It is lovely that you don’t shy away from topics like this! Especially, like For Tyeth mentioned, in times like these.
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Thanks Jeanne. It’s a story probably long overdue in me telling… but the prompt word for the Six Sentence Story was a good nudge I reckon 😎
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