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Although I was born in December 1939 just after the start of World War II, I have vivid memories as a child of the effects on my family and our community. My parents were in shop keeping in West Bromwich, a very vulnerable area as was all of the Black Country and Midlands generally, because of the industry in this heartland of Britain.

My older brother (7) and sister (6) were in fact evacuated at the start of the war to stay with relatives in Worcestershire countryside for their safety but returned home after I was born as our parents valued the family unit so much despite the problems! We were all born and lived above the shops, behind them an underground air raid shelter was constructed within the back yards. When the sirens sounded warning of an air raid my uncle, who lived next door, immediately came round to carry the 3 of us down below, as sometimes my father was on night patrol with the Home Guard, Dad’s Army as we now fondly remember it.

Bombing raids regularly took place and a whole street was destroyed within a mile of my home on one occasion. Despite having a cellar and being confident that they would be safe we lost relatives when their house received a direct hit and they were killed, just one in a whole road of other houses.

I can still remember hearing the rumble of tanks going by and running to look at them from the shop doorway even though I was only 2 or 3 at the time of my earliest recollection.

My other memories relate to the stories my parents had in finding food to sell and the nightmare of coupons because of rationing. All grocery items could only be purchased with the requisite number of coupons per item, each week — can you imagine also the queues whenever my parents were able to obtain rabbits, fresh fruit in season from the country. After the shop closed they would travel to the country (despite lack of signposts or reversed direction ones) to fetch these supplies. Long busy days followed by long late nights also made for very exhausting and strenuous war years. In a way, the war did not fully end for us until rationing ended in 1954.

However, I have outstanding impressions of VE Day and the celebrations in 1945 and of the great happiness, which everyone felt at that time. Being a child brought up during the war in the lean years which followed, influenced me throughout the rest of my life. In the time of plenty enjoyed since, it is easy to take so much for granted. Freedom now is not having to ‘black out’ the lights, put up with shortages of food, being able to drive anywhere instead of using the horse and gig because of petrol rationing. How privileged we are and what a debt we owe to all those who fought for our generation to have a better world. We should never forget that sacrifice by many who did not live to benefit themselves.

This story was submitted to the People’s War website by Helen Fowler (volunteer) of the CSV Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Hereford and Worcester. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions

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