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A Teenagers War

1939 in London

House

Any room in use after dark had to be totally “blacked —out! — using blinds, thick curtains, shutters. Air Raid Wardens were on the look-out for any chinks of light showing. Street lighting was minim al. Cars and buses used metal covers over head lights thus allowing a minimal light to show — but as petrol was rationed, there were few private cars on the road. Air raid shelters were dug out on all commons and available to anyone. Wooden bunks were provided inside and minimal lighting. No heating. Shelters ware also provided for gardens where they were semi-sunken. Some people used their cellars. We had a Morrison shelter eventually. This after the front door had been blown off and many windows shattered my father spent a whole day trying to buy a new door lock — unsuccessfully. The shelter was in the dining room. Made of steel and was at table height. My mother put a double mattress in and she and my father and I slept there. She always took the milk (individual ration was 2 pints weekly) and the ration books in with her.

At the height of the bombing men were bussed down from the North East to help with repairs. A type of waterproof linen cloth for essential windows, others were boarded up. People who had been bombed out stored what they had left of furniture and belongings in church halls. Houses that had wrought iron railings outside had them removed to be used for making armaments.

Tube station platforms were also used at night. A yellow line was painted about 3’ from the edge of the platform and daily from about 4.0pm you could see families streaming down the stairs with their bundles of bedding and food. They had to be out by 7.30a.m

Public Commons were dug up for allotments and the public were encouraged to ‘Dig for Victory!

Bombing

I lived in South West London and when the Docks were bombed we could look across and see the whole sky glowing red. It was very frightening.

Then we had bombing regularly. The sirens would sound about 6.0 pm and the thud, thud, of the anti-aircraft guns in the nearby common was continuous. We lay in bed (prior to having the Morrison Shelter) and listened to the planes overhead and the whistling
of bombs as they went down and then, the bang as they detonated. The worst were the flying bombs. They had a distinctive noise were un-manned. The engine would cut out and you waited for the loud explosion. When outside shopping, hearing an engine cut out we would duck down beside a wall. The devastation they caused was terrible.

Work

I was 16 when War was declared so was told tp leave school and I trained as a G.P.O. telephonist. I worked in Tottenham Court Road and when the bombing started, my mother went to her brother in the New Forest, my father worked at the House of Commons and slept there under a billiard table and I was told I had to do permanent night shifts so that I could sleep in the office shelter (This was prior to having a shelter at home) The office had a Home Guard on duty at the door, wearing his hat and gas mask. We were all expected to do one night weekly as fire watchers on the roof- looking out for incendiary bombs.

The shelter was very basic. We had a bank of mattresses on tables and a grey army blankets for covering. No food or drink was provided. Toilets were upstairs in the office as were washing facilities. We were all required at all times to carry our issue tin helmet and gas mask and they were all quite heavy.

Because my parents would not allow me to enlist in the forces (you’ll meet a lot of awful types there!) I applied for a posting and was told to be at St James in Whitehall (where I had been working on Sundays) with my luggage. A small group assembled there at the appointed time and we an Army truck not knowing where we were heading.

I ended up at Blenheim Palace which had been taken over by MI5 as their Country branch.

I had arrived in Heaven!

I had lodgings in Woodstock with a very homely family in a 300 year old house. No indoor toilet — Champagne Charlie came each Friday night to deal with the necessary. For the first time in my life (aged 19) I had a bike and used to ride through the park, round the lake to the Palace where I worked in the room where Churchill was born. Three bus loads of clerical staff came and went from Oxford daily. My boss (Colonel Cumming) had invented the scrambler telephone through which no one could monitor conversations. It was a wonderful period in my life after a restricted childhood. I could go into Oxford on the bus and endlessly cycled round the countryside. In Woodstock most ladies took their Sunday joint to the bakers to be cooked in his big oven. I met a student from Oxford and he took me punting on the river. My landlady insisted I gave her £1 weekly for savings so by the time I returned to London I had a Post Office account of £68.

Food

Rations changed weekly on a points system I remember seeing a man eating his 1oz cheese ration as he waited to pay his bill. We got 1 egg each month but you could buy powdered egg on points. The meat ration was very minimal and often an evening consisted of a boiled onion with a knob of margarine on top of celery in a sauce made with powdered milk or a jacket potato. The points system worked very well and covered everything in tins. Nothing was ever wasted and I never remember being hungry.

There were British Restaurants who were restricted to 5/- a meal, but you did not have to surrender coupons for this. Much too expensive for the likes of me.

We had home grown fruit and vegetables and I remember a raffle where the prize was a lemon and second prize was to have it on your desk for the day!

Sweets were rationed and in short supply, Ice cream, when available, looked slightly speckled as though made with brown flour and never sweet enough. Bread was rationed and no choice of type.

Clothes

Were rationed a very restricted in materials again , sold on a coupon system. Shoes were particularly poor quality as leather was scarce as well as craftsmen .Suits, coats, dresses all carried the ‘Utility Mark CC41’.The black market flourished inevitably and we all availed ourselves of it when possible.

The feeling was ‘we’ the people were fighting this war and of course in the end it would be won. Churchill was a tower of strength on the Radio and his speeches always strengthened resolve.

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