大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Stoke-on-Trent Libraries on behalf of Barbara Lymer and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I had an aunt in Crewe who took in a little Dutch boy. He was about 10 and I'd have been around 6 at the time. He couldn't speak English. I went to stay with Auntie and the two of us got on well despite not being able to understand one another.
Auntie made sandwiches for tea one day, the boy ( Ithink his name was Simon) was prodding and poking them and generally staring at them but not eating anything. It turned out he had never seen whoye bread before. He took one sandwich apart and popped the bread in his pocket - presumably to take home with him!
I remember going for a walk near the Rolls Royce Factory and trying to explain to Simon what the barrage balloons were.
Simon was absolutely delighted when he went ot Grandma's for tea nad was given jelly.
I do remember Simon's boots. They weren't clogs but they were very distinctive and certainly not like anything I'd seen before.
I also remember that larger children were granted extra clothing coupons for shoes.
Air raid shelters were always a good place for us to play. When the bombs were dropped on Ravensdale our school was damaged. I do remember stories of a bomb being dropped in Pittshill, the family were all killed except for the baby who was blown out of the window and survived.

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