大象传媒

I was 18 when World War II began in September 1939 and I lived in Ilford, Essex approximately 8 miles from London. I had taken a secretarial course at Pitmans in Forest Gate and started work early in 1940 at Elsdon and Co, in Leadenhall Street, London EC1. We were also Ernels Shipping and International Federation of Bunkering Depot Proprietors of which Mr Elsdon was President. I travelled up to London five days a week either by train to Liverpool Street or bus along the Mile End Road to Aldgate, and the devastation along the route was terrible.

My father moved to Pinewood Studios with Lloyd's of London, my brother was in the Army and my sister evacuated to Wales, so my mother and I were the only two left at home. We had a Morrison indoor table shelter in which we slept every night during the Battle of Britain. We could have had an Anderston shelter but I did not like the insects. Very often the German bombers dropped their bombs and land mines over Ilford and we lost all our glass windows and had to replace them with wood.

My brother came home on leave one time and said he felt safer in the Army. I went to join the services but they told me I was in a reserved occupation so I could not. My office was in a very tall and large building and we all had to take a feather pillow to work to protect our head against flying glass.

In World War II the majority of ships were steamships and had to be kept supplied with coal or whatever fuel they used and as the International Federation of Bunkering Depot Proprietors we were responsible to make sure the supplies were at the Depots (all over the world) when required. We therefore knew where the ships were going and when they would be there. We had to give these details to the War Office and they did the rest. Because of the secrecy required these details had to be delivered by hand and a special car used to take me to the War Office once a week. I was not allowed to take the bus or taxi. When the flying bombs (or doodlebugs as we called them) flew over we used to say keep going because we knew that when the engine cut out they would drop and explode.

We had coupons and queued for food, also for furniture and clothes. I married my sweetheart on the 20th September 1942 when he had one days' leave. We had a special licence and were married on a Sunday. We saved all our rations and had a proper cake. He was stationed in Tunbridge Wells and came home whenever he could and I used to go with him as far as London Bridge or the Green Line buses from Elephant and Castle. He was so sworried when he left and could see London burning and had to get back home.

In 1944 - 9th June he went to Normandy and did not come home again until 1945 when after leave he went back to the Middle East to prepare for War with Japan. I am sorry, but I said thank God for the H Bomb which saw the end of the war.

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