大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Julia Shuvalova for GMR Actiondesk on behalf of Mrs Mavis Russell and has been added with her permission. The author is fully aware of the terms and conditions of the site.

I was ten and a half years old when the war started, and I thought there would be fighting in the streets straight away. I was terrified, but of course I was wrong. Then my dad, who was already a reserve in the army, was one of the first to be called up. He was stationed not far from where we lived, so he would come home in the evening. But one night he didn't come home, so we knew it was getting serious.

Next thing was to get the gas masks. I couldn't wait to get mine, as I thought the Germans would start 'gassing' us right away.

My grandparents lived in Lancaster, and because there were no industrial sites there, they said my brother and I should go and stay in Lancaster with them. There were a lot of other children like us, who were staying with relatives. We had to go to school there, snd it was quite an adventure.

I was still pleased to go home eventually. By this time there was rationing, and no sweets or fruit. My younger brother wouldn't remember what bananas were, so he had to wait until after the war to taste them.

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