IT might have taken place more than 60 years ago, but the Second World War Blitz on Southampton left such indelible impressions on so many local people that memories remain vivid to this day.

The town, as it was then, suffered terribly during the enemy attacks of late 1940 but although devastation was widespread the heart and spirit of the Southampton communities remained intact.

One person who clearly recalls those November days 65 years ago is Violet Rogers of Sholing, who was just eight years old at the time of the blitz.

"We were living in Blackthorn Road at Merry Oak and my parents, Elsie and William, and myself slept in the Anderson shelter in our back garden most nights,'' said Violet, now aged 73, whose surname was Day before she married.

"One particular night we were in the shelter and the air raid had been going on for sometime when my father suddenly put his arms around my mother and I and said: 'Keep down. This one is close'.

"Then the shelter lifted out of the ground and dirt showered in on us and I remember the candlestick on the shelf falling off and hitting me on the head.

"During the next lull in the bombing Dad put his head out of the shelter and told us the next- door neighbour's house was on fire. He got out of the shelter and shouted to the neighbours either side of us but no one answered.''

Later Violet found out that one family, including the mother, father, two sons and a daughter-in-law had been killed by a direct hit by a bomb.

"After a while Dad said our house was on fire and the flames were getting dangerously close to the wooden fence that surrounded the garden.

"He said: 'If we don't get out now we could be trapped by the fire,' so we took our chance and ran up the path by the house.

"Flames were licking all around us and we could feel the heat as we passed. The bombers were still coming over in black waves and it looked like there were hundreds of them.''

Violet said she was told that Merry Oak had been set on fire to act as a flare path for the enemy bombers heading for Southampton docks.

"When the all clear sounded we formed a chain with buckets of water and tried to put a fire at a house where we thought people had been trapped.

"Luckily it turned out they were safe, but as I stood there I could see our home burning to the ground,'' said Violet.

"All we salvaged from the ashes the next day was a tin of farthings. I shall never forget that night.''