大象传媒

On the 1st September 1939 my school was evacuated from Westminster, London. My sister would not allow her two children, then aged 3 & 5 years old, to be evacuated unless they could stay with me.

The previous week we were instructed to have haversacks with two sets of underclothes and barley sugar, thirst quenching for the journey. All of us kids were rushing around all the sweet shops for barley sugar sticks, which soon were exhausted. I settled for cough candy twists.

We assembled at school. I had my nephew鈥檚 and niece鈥檚 haversacks, as well as my own, straddled across my shoulders. Luggage labels with our names and schools were attached to our lapels, gas masks in cardboard boxes slung round our necks. I had a child in each hand clinging to me for dear life.

Marching in column down Victoria Street, sobbing mothers alongside, we arrived at Victoria Station. We kids imagined this was to be like a Sunday school outing except that the mothers, instead of being happy for us, were clingingly sobbing their hearts out.

We were herded onto trains, not knowing for where we bound.

Brighton was our eventual destination. Blimey! They鈥檙e taking us nearer to the Germans!
And wasn鈥檛 Brighton a Garrison Town, which is why the Davy鈥檚 were to have soldiers!

BILLETTING

Hundreds of kids poured off the trains. Assembled into our respective schools and classes, we were marched in column up Buckingham Road and came to a halt outside J. Davy and Son builder鈥檚 yard. Here we waited for billeting officers to allocate us to various houses.

People wanted either all boys or all girls, just ones or twos but never three mixed as we were and of such variant ages, so we were left standing right till the end.
Then it rained!

Across the road at 43, Buckingham Road lived the Davy鈥檚. Mrs. Davy and her companion, Miss Andress was watching from their window. Withy the rain becoming heavier, Mrs. Davy invited us in. She was due to have soldiers billeted on them.

The Davy鈥檚 had two dogs, Nipper a Jack Russell and Jill, a wire-haired terrier. Both dogs were very nervous. My nephew and niece, as well as myself, love animals and the dogs obviously sensed this for they took to us immediately. This so surprised the Davy鈥檚 as they had never seen their dogs so happy with strangers.

They gave us tea and Miss Andress apologised that the Madeira cake was dry. Mrs Davy said 鈥淕ive it here鈥� and took the cake back to the kitchen. She returned after a few minutes having toasted the cake and spread it with jam. It was scrumptious! The dogs lapped it up as Sheila shared hers with them. Mr. Davy returned home to find his dogs romping around the floor with the two kids all having a whale of a good time.

The billeting officer returned having at last found a family to take us. It was with the Males at 26 West Hill Road, just round the corner. Mrs Male had a grown up family of five girls and a boy; all working. The youngest daughter, Marjorie, was sixteen and worked in a greengrocer鈥檚. She was a real cracker!

This next upheaval all in one day was a bit much for the kids. This brought on Tommy鈥檚 crying again. We had e respite at the Davy鈥檚. Neither of them would eat and they were whacked out. I got them to bed in a small box room on the top floor. I had a bed in a ground floor back bedroom. Tommy was still fretful and would only come to me. We got round his shyness by us three eating in the garden on our own.

Saturday 2nd September it was a fine day so I took the kids for a walk to familiarise ourselves with our surroundings.

Sunday 3rd September another fine day so I took the kids down to the beach. Sitting on the pebbled beach near the West Pier, a light aircraft approached flying very low, just about the low-tide level. Suddenly the engine cut out and it plunged into the sea. We were quickly cleared from the beach so we retreated to the paddling pool up on the promenade. The kids were happily paddling when the sirens sounded. Marjorie appeared as if from nowhere and whisked us back home. Apparently War had been declared at 11 o鈥檆lock.

We had to assemble at Middle Street School on Monday. There were crowds of us. Two schools were to share the same building. It was resolved that one school would have the use
in the mornings and the other the afternoons. Our school took the mornings so we had the afternoons for nature study on cliff walks etc.

One afternoon, on our walk home, we came past the Davy鈥檚. Mrs. Davy came to the door to ask us how we were. The kids were happy to see her. Then the dogs came to the door. They spotted the kids and came bounding out to them. Mrs. Davy said we were to come to tea every Monday. Mrs. Male was delighted we had made friends with the Davy鈥檚 who were a highly respected family. Their Son was Commander of the Cossack. Our teatime treats were extended to the whole of Monday afternoons.

After school, Mrs Male ensured we were scrubbed up ready to be collected. Mrs Davy arrived in her car, into which we clambered in with the dogs and off we went to the Devils Dyke where the Davy鈥檚 had an allotment. Seeing food grow, wading among the soft fruit bushes, gorging ourselves as we picked a good supply of fruits and vegetables to take back to Mrs. Male, all the time frolicking with the dogs. Back to the Davy鈥檚 where we cleaned up to have tea. This time we had what I now know as summer pudding but topped off with ice cream.

Thus began the phoney war. Nothing was happening so evacuees started to return home
My Sister took the kids back so my billet was changed to a private hotel. I hated it there so I decided I would leave school and go home and find a job.

This I did and worked in Soho Square for Crosse and Blackwell. Then came the Blitz. I had changed my job and joined a firm of Solicitors opposite the Law Courts in the Strand where I got involved in A.R.P.- fire watching. I was keen to get into the R.A.F. Aircrew so joined the R.A.F.V.R. and became a Wireless Operator / Air Gunner - but that is yet to be told.

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