大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by a volunteer from Lincolnshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Ellen Ellovit and has been added to the site with her permission. Ellen Ellovit fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I was about three years old in the last months of the war and we held a 鈥楽pitfire Concert鈥� in the back street. I was dressed up in my best dress and was due to sing a song, but mum couldn鈥檛 find me. When I was located I was sliding up and down the air raid shelter and had torn my new knickers.

My dad was never injured during the war but when he was marching in the victory parade he was overcome by fumes from the tank in front of him and ended up in hospital where I was given fresh fruit and tasted my first banana.

Dad never spoke of his life during the war but once he was asked. He just turned around and said, 鈥淲e were as bad as them鈥�, so take that as you will. He was in the front line the whole time and only came home once on leave and that was when I was conceived so really I didn鈥檛 know the man who came home at the end of the war; a complete stranger but he was my 鈥榙addy鈥�.

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