大象传媒

I was 3 years old when WW2 started. My family lived in Selby Street in the East End. My dad, mum. Sister Doreen, Brother Peter and myself Joy. We had a small house in a row of houses, with an outside loo, and I remember people always sat outside on a sunny day on the low front window sill.

Everyone was so friendly and children always played outside 鈥擳in can copper, Hopscotch, Wooden Tops, Skipping, everyone looked out for one another. The east end people would give you their last penny if you needed it, no one needed to lock up their doors people were honest then.

My dad was a corporal in the Air Force and I always remember when he came home on leave he would save up his rations and bring us chocolate and would spend hours making us dolls house furniture out of matches and match boxes.

My first memory of the war was when the air raid warning would sound and then there was great activity Mum would get us together and rush us to the Anderson Shelter, where we would all pack in as many as we could. Our neighbours were lovely people and some could play the accordion or the spoons and they would get us all to sing at the top of our voices to drown out the sound of the bombs. Then when all clear came we would all come out praying that our house was still standing there.

My worst memory was when the last rocket dropped. I had been to a birthday party at my friends who lived in the Blackwall Buildings opposite our houses. It was a wonderful day her dog had had puppies and although things were on ration they had managed to make a lovely spread of sandwiches and jelly. Oh what a lovely day.

That day my sister Doreen had decided to change her bed around in her room it saved her life. That night I remember waking up to the sound of things, the ceiling plaster falling all around me, I heard my dear Mum calling out for me, then finding me and then pushing through the rubble and screaming 鈥淧eter Oh Peter, wake up鈥�. My brother had a wooden beam over him, but miracles happen he was still alive although very frightened. Then grasping Peter, with me holding on to Mum鈥檚 back we went to find Doreen, the wall where her bed had been that morning had fallen onto the bottom of her bed. But she was alive too. We all rushed outside to see the buildings where I had been to the party were alight and all I could see were, people screaming running along balconies trying to escape the flames, parts of the balconies were falling as they ran, I will never forget my friends family who had all gone. It was horrible.

The German plane had tried to get the railway which was at the bottom of the road but got the buildings instead.

We were dazed and shocked but my sister went back into the house to get our cat which had found shelter under a table. We then all walked through the rubble, smoke, fumes, and screams, ARP men directing us with torches to the safety of the W.V.S. Vans. I remember a kind person putting a blanket around my shoulders and giving me a doll. Then someone talking to Mum and giving us a drink of chocolate, it was warm and sweet and the blanket made me feel safe. I must have slept then.

The next thing I remember was being on a Station platform with my brother Peter. We had small cases with us and a name tag on our coats. We thought it was exciting standing there holding my brothers hand waiting for a train. We all boarded the train there were lots of us. I remember Mum crying, 鈥楪od bless her鈥� she was so wonderful and waving to us as we went.

When we arrived we were put in a School hall, I remember some of the children were so happy they were jumping on the wooden exercise horse. Then we all had to sit on the floor as people came around to look at us. I remember a nice lady stopping by me and my brother and saying 鈥淚 can take the boy but not the girl鈥�. My brother held my hand very tight and said 鈥淚 won鈥檛 go without my sister鈥�. She smiled and came back later to say she would take us both. She was so kind to us and she had a garden, we had never had a garden, we rewarded her by eating all her fruit from the garden and making ourselves ill with sore tummies.

From there we were eventually evacuated with Mum, Doreen and Mum鈥檚 friend and son to a little village in Norfolk called Pixie Green near March. I remember Mum and my Aunt chopping wood for the fire and when we wanted water we had to get it from the pond outside, and drain all the newts off first and then boil the water before we could drink it. I remember my Mum going into the kitchen and screaming because the farmer鈥檚 cow had wandered into the back garden and put its head through the window. It was a very old cottage but we loved it there.

When the war was over I remember all the mum鈥檚 in the street putting tables all along the street and we were all dressed up in Red White and Blue and we waived flags and sang and danced and people hugged each other and cried with happiness. I remember going to the corner shop bakers and asking for 2p worth of stale cakes from yesterday, and getting 5 Will鈥檚 Wiffs (cigarettes) for my Dad, and the Jewish corner shop and getting pickled cucumbers and sauerkraut for tea and we all had winkles and shrimps and bread and butter for tea.

The comradeship in the war was wonderful because no one knew if they would see tomorrow, there was no greed and envy just people looking out for each other.

After the war we were given a wonderful top part of a house in Old Ford Road Bow. Right next to the park 鈥榁ictoria Park鈥�. They were the happiest years of my life, and my schooling. I used to walk through the park at 6.30 each morning when I started work at the children鈥檚 hospital in Cambridge Heath Road.

I remember our first Xmas, there was an old tramp was playing a fiddle outside and it was snowing and cold and my Mum made up a small basket of mince pie, orange, nuts and a piece of chicken, and I went down to give it to him, his nose was dripping through the cold, but he smiled and said 鈥淕od Bless you my dear鈥� and he had because he got us through the war. I will always remember the people we lost in the war with pride and love and give thanks to their courage always.

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