´óÏó´«Ã½

As a nine-year-old my reaction to the news of the outbreak of the war was one of excitement. I imagined that I would be able to sit at our upstairs window and watch the fighting in the street, just like watching a ‘Cowboy and Indian’ film. I was soon disillusioned.

Sweet rationing came in, just 2oz per week and many other restrictions followed. We lived at Whitley Bay and before the war we had spent most of our free time playing on the beach. This was stopped as coils of barbed wire were laid along the coast to deter any enemy invasion. This of course stopped our access to the beach, which we were told was heavily mined. Large concrete blocks were also placed along the sands as ante-tank traps.

Perhaps the most unusual site was a very large screen, about 100ft by 60ft, erected at the bottom of Marine Ave. (the main road through Whitley Bay to the coast) to stop car headlights shining out to sea. In fact all car headlights had to be screened with only a narrow slit showing. Total blackout was in force, no street lights or illuminated signs, and woe betide any householder who inadvertently allowed a glimmer of light to show through a window or door.

All ice-cream shops were closed for the next few years, partly because of the shortage of ingredients, but also because most ice-cream shops were owned by Italians and they were interned for the duration.

The war brought good things for us too; all schooling was suspended until sufficient air-raid shelters were built on school premises. Gas masks had to be carried at all times and in school we often had gas drill. We were told that one classroom had been filled with gas and we had to put on our gas masks and walk slowly through the room and out again. I don’t think that many children really believed there was any gas in there.

Air raids were very frequent between late1940 and early 1944, usually at night. All houses had some sort of air raid shelter and ours was an ‘Anderson’. This was a pit about 3ft deep dug into our garden, lined with concrete, with a form of ‘shed’ over it made of corrugated iron, all covered over with about 2ft to 3 ft of earth. The dimensions inside were about 8ft by 6ft and less than 6ft high. At first these shelters were damp and cold but in time each family would add they’re own comforts, bunk beds for very young children, a small paraffin heater for warmth, a wireless and even a carpet on the floor. Other items were classed as essential, a spade to dig ourselves out if the shelter was covered with debris, a first aid kit, a torch and of course a flask of hot tea and sandwiches (usually spam). Also fresh water in case we had an extended stay. Most people would sing during the air raids to keep up moral, or was it to drowned out the sound of the bombs and guns?

On the good side, (for the school children anyway), if the air raid lasted, or occurred after midnight, we were excused school the next morning. In that event we would spend the morning viewing the bomb damage and collecting shrapnel (bits of bombs and cartridge cases) which littered the area.

Although the bomb damage was more extensive nearer the River Tyne, Whitley Bay had it’s share. Bombs were dropped beside West Monkseaton Railway Station, Wembley Ave., Hillfield, Brierdene, Chapel Lane, (where the old St. Peters Church was completely destroyed), and many other places throughout the town. But by far the worst was at Ocean View, where the whole street was demolished by three ‘land mines’, which were dropped by parachute. Here the death toll had been enormous.

I remember that in late 1943 our local fruiterers received a consignment of bananas, the first since the start of the war, these were strictly allocated, two to each child under 16 years. I couldn’t remember them and had to be shown how to peel them. Next came an ice cream substitute called ‘chilled cream’ Imagine skimmed milk with water added and then chilled, (ugh) but as we children could not remember real ice cream, we thought it was great.

In early 1945 the blackout was eased somewhat and about 1 in 6 of the street lights were turned back on, this was called ‘dim out’ and everyone turned out to see this wonderful sight. Then came VE day people seemed to go mad with joy, dancing and singing in the streets, there were street parties and people would take a hold of strangers passing by and dance with them. I remember one chap putting lighter fuel in the tank of his motorbike (no petrol of course), so he could travel around the parties. Rationing was still in force for about another 10 years.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.