大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Nina Davey on behalf of Harry Pilgrim the author and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Rationing was not something I was too much aware of, apart from not being able to go out and buy sweets. I did find some un-rationed cough sweets, which made me ill! Margarine in those days was very very different from today, as was saccharine. Identity cards and gasmasks had to be carried at all times. Especially after Dunkirk there were real worries about enemy agents having arrived with the refugees. This included Falmouth, where boat loads of mainly French nationals arrived. My mother and Godmother were both fluent French speakers and went to help the lost souls who had arrived at the docks. Their baggage had been ripped opened as officials searched for evidence of illegal entry. They were tired hungry and very bewildered. Some my mother brought home and found beds for. She also went into the town to see what she could buy for them to eat; with rationing this was not easy. All she found were oranges which had just been delivered to M&S. We were already having problems with several of our guests, dissatisfied with the level of wartime service provided. When the French refugees arrived there was a near riot, they did not want to be with the ones they blamed for letting us down and collaborating with the Germans. My father made it very clear that he did not want such narrow minded and uncaring guests in his hotel and asked those that felt that way to leave.

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