Clearing Customs was a slow process as everyone had to empty everything being carried. While doing so - whatever it was they expected to find - there were many less than polite comments from the soldiery. By contrast, the RTO people went about their work most expeditiously then it was aboard a train bound for Glasgow whence, at last, everyone went their separate ways.

As my parents had no idea that I was on the way home, during the short time while waiting in Glasgow for the Liverpool bound train to arrive, I tried several times to call them without success. On de-training at Liverpool's Lime Street station, another attempt to telephone home was equally unsuccessful.

The final leg of my journey was before me. First a tram-ride to Liverpool's Pier Head, then aboard a ferry boat to Wallasey's Seacombe Ferry, thence to catch a Number 17 bus for a ride to the stop nearest to my home, or more correctly, the house next door. Although Wallasey is virtually all residential, due to the Borough's close proximity to Liverpool it suffered badly during the Blitz, mainly due to wayward parachute mines intended for the River Mersey. A total of 340 people were killed and many more injured in the raids - over 18,000 houses were damaged many to the extent that over 10,000 were rendered homeless. The bomb that had destroyed 13 Cliff Road (unfortunately killing the occupants) also blew off the roof of our home. As the house next door number 11, was vacant, the owner (who had evacuated to Southport) agreed to lease it to us. Fortunately, the local authorities quickly placed a large tarpaulin over our home before rain could damage anything of significance. Although I was aware that my parents had not moved back into our home, I was somewhat surprised to find it looking the same as when I last saw it, tarpaulin and all.