大象传媒

I was born Sonya Harris in 1930. My parents were Dave and Millie Harris and we lived in Mayola Road, Lower Clapton, London E5 (now part of Hackney). My Sister, Irene and I were evacuated in June 1940 from Millfields Road School, Clapton. Irene was just under 4 and I was just 10. I do not remember much of the journey, but I do remember our arrival at St Austell, in Cornwall. We were all taken into the bus depot and given cake and lemonade, after which we were taken out to where the buses and coaches were waiting. The teachers counted us on to the buses that would take us to our destination.

My sister and I were taken to Polgooth Village Hall. My mother had stipulated that Irene and I were to stay together and because of this, we were the last ones left in the hall. A lady then took us in her car to where we were billeted. Our foster mother was only 21 and had taken us to get the billeting money (which paid for our keep). Her husband had been called up and she had a baby of about 12 months. We had to eat the food put in front of us and this proved a problem. As we were Jewish, we knew we should not eat pork - and in fact, I could not eat it. I also remember that I could not understand the Cornish accent. I had great difficulty in understanding our foster mother and I was also very homesick.

We had to walk 3 miles to Lower Sticker School. The weather was hot and we found it very difficult. After about 6 weeks, we were both ill - we both had thrush in our mouths and we also had lice in our hair. I had thick black curls and every time a flea was seen in my hair, my foster mother cut off another curl.

After my parents had not heard from us for about 3 - 4 weeks, my mother came down to see what was happening. She said afterwards that she cried all night when she saw our condition. It took my mother a week to get our heads completely clean, and that was with washing every 2 or 3 hours. We then stayed with her on a neighbouring farm to recover.

Towards the end of the week, my mother took us to either Pentewan or Mevagissey (I can not remember which town). It was a very hot day and we sat on the cliffs, unable to go onto the beach as the army were putting up barbed wire and laying mines.

My mother intended to take us home and told the authorities of her decision. They told her that they had another home for us - in Hewas Water, a little hamlet about 3 miles from Polgooth. She insisted on inspecting the house and meeting our prospective foster parents - a Mr and Mrs Fugler. My mother agreed to let us stay and we spent 18 - 20 months with the Fuglers.

Mrs Fugler (whom we called Aunty) was about 50 and Mr Fugler (Uncle) had been in the First World War and had been gassed. He worked in the China Clay industry, just outside St Austell. They had one daughter, Doris - who was a great help in the house, with cleaning and the enormous amount of washing that was done every Monday and ironed the same afternoon, on on Tuesday, if Monday's weather had been inclement. Washing up was done in the back kitchen and the dirty water was thrown from the back door over a nearby hedge, or on the hydrangea bushes adjacent to the house.

Water had to be carried every night in earthenware pitchers from the village pump (no one had piped water). All the men would gather at the pump at about 7:00 pm, to have a chat and eventually to carry the water home. There were no sewers and we used a toilet at the end of the garden, which had a bucket in it. This toilet was always very clean. There was of course no light in the toilet and it was a bit scary in the dark winter afternoons and evenings.

There was a very large garden in which Uncle grew all the vegetables we needed. The garden at the side of the house had a large tree and a seat where we played when it was very hot. In the front garden, Uncle grew a large variety of lupins, as well as other plants and shrubs.

Aunty sent us to Sunday School on Sunday morning and chapel in the evening. My mother did not object to this, as she felt that everyone should learn something of religions other than their own. She also felt that there would be a lot less trouble in the world if everyone did this.

At school, it proved very difficult to learn anything, as there were about 60 of us in one class - we were taught with the local children. I remember that we had a lot of singing lessons, mostly very patriotic songs. We also had to do a lot of marching around the playground - the Cornish headmaster had been a Captain in the First World War. The London headmaster was a Mr Bristow and he had an assistant called Mrs Phillips. All the evacuees were terrified of Mr Bristow and tried to avoid him whenever possible.

We had to walk about 1 mile from Hewas Water to Lower Sticker School. We passed several farms and one had a lot of turkeys that walked around the farmyard and out into the road. One was particularly noisy and hissed a lot. All the evacuees were frightened of it and we used to try to get past, without attracting its attention.

We had to take lunch - either sandwiches, or a pastry and cake - to school.

A Hebrew teacher came twice a week to teach the Jewish children, and we were taken to a shed in the playground. I enjoyed learning Hebrew and received a prize. For the Jewish festivals - particularly the High Holidays in September - we were taken to the church in Sticker Village, where Jewish children from other schools were also taken, to celebrate the festivals.

During the winter months, social events were held at the Institute (village hall) in Hewas Water. These were very much enjoyed by all who attended - children, as well as adults. There was dancing and games, such as musical chairs, statues, etc. Refreshments, eg tea, sandwiches and cakes, were available.

I often used to stand in the lane outside the Fuglers' house with Uncle, when it was dark and we could see Plymouth being bombed. This went on continuously.

My mother wrote to us very frequently, describing the Blitz in very vivid language. After reading her letters, I used to wonder if I would ever see my parents again, as the bombing was so horrific. My parents would visit us separately, as the train fare was so expensive.

A few yards down the lane was a family called Treleaven. They lived in a train compartment that they had made into a cottage. We often went there and we were very friendly with them.

We also visited Aunty's mother and sister, Polly. They lived about 5 minutes from the Fuglers and always made us very welcome. Grandma (Polly and Aunty's mother) was very old and always wore black. There were also 2 brothers (Harry and Will), but they were eventually drafted, going down the coal mines instead of into the armed forces.

I was very friendly with a girl and boy billeted on the corner of the lane, with a Mrs Best. We also liked to go to the blacksmith's shop, on the corner of the lane, opposite Mrs Best.

Doris was married after we had been there some time. We were not allowed to go to the wedding. She married a butcher and farmer called William Robbins (from Mevagissey) and of course, moved to either the farm or Mevagissey. Life became very hard for Aunty after Doris left, as she had done a large part of the washing and housework. William (Doris' husband) came round the village in his van, delivering meat rations. Aunty would not accept anything except beef - to her, lamb and pork were not meat.

During the summers (which always seemed to be very hot and long, and especially if there was a drought), water was taken from a stream in a field adjacent to the main road (about 5 - 10 minutes walk). The Fuglers had a large tank near the wash house, in which rain was collected and used for bathing and laundry.

The London Blitz eased towards the end of 1942 and I longed to go home. My father came and collected us and we stayed at home until the flying bombs (1944). We could not return to Cornwall, as it was a forbidden zone, which meant that no one could travel there. This was just before D-Day. We went to Bradford, in West Yorkshire.

In conclusion, I must say that Mr and Mrs Fugler were very good to us and we kept in touch with them, after we came home. In fact, a few years ago, my husband and I visited Mevagissey and after talking to a lady there, we found where Doris and William lived and visited them. William has since died, but we still hear from Doris.

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