- Contributed by听
- CSV Action Desk Leicester
- People in story:听
- JEAN PERCIVAL AND DEREK PERCIVAL
- Location of story:听
- WIGSTON, LEICESTER
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A5203504
- Contributed on:听
- 19 August 2005
Grandmother and Adam and his Grandfather are sitting comfortably together when Adam begins to ask them some questions about the WW2 period of their life.
Adam. 鈥淲here were you living during the War and what did you do when the sirens went off?鈥
Grandma 鈥淲ell, we lived on a farm where Birket House is now in Wigston, Leicester, behind the gasworks. When the sirens went off, we went under the table as some places didn鈥檛 have any air-raid shelters.鈥
Adam 鈥淭ell me about the ration books.
Grandma 鈥淲ell, we had to hand in our ration books to the grocer and they cut out a coupon and kept it. Clothes, food and sweets were rationed. Some people made their wedding dresses out of parachute material, as it would take ages to save up for one with coupons.鈥
Adam 鈥淲ere you evacuated Granddad?鈥
Granddad 鈥淵es, I was, I used to live in East London, but I was evacuated to South Wigston. I was lucky as my Mum came with me, but my brothers and sisters were evacuated to different families. My home was bombed in East London.鈥
Adam 鈥淎nything else you want to tell me?鈥
Grandma 鈥淵es, a German prisoner was sent to work on our farm and he made my brother a ship in a bottle, which he still has.鈥
This story was submitted to the 鈥淧eoples War Site by Rod Aldwinckle of the CSV Action Desk on behalf of Jean Percival and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.
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