大象传媒

Now we are in the New Year and I guess things will really be turning the tables on our side as we have had it very rough and it will be rougher before it finishes. We have slept in the dugout since August 28th 'till November 1st and we all sleep well and safe and warm down there. We went down at 1p.m.and came out at 7a.m.

January 1st 1941

I think it is the first time I have ever remembered seeing a new moon on a New Years day and I thought perhaps we would be a bit luckier this coming year.

Janurary 5th 1941

Still very cold, the taps in the cow house are running again so don't have carry water to the cows. There is a raid on tonight and our guns keep firing enough to blow our window out but no fire in London.

January 6th 1941

A very nasty day, everwhere like walking on glass, one had to be careful where one put their foot down. It was snowing hard when I shut the chickens up tonight.
Benny had shot a wild duck this morning, shot one and got a branch of tree to get it out of the water but it recovered and flew away. He had put his gun down and it was too far away to reach it in time to shoot it again. Better luck next time Benny.
There has been several raiders over today up above the clouds so could n't find them, our guns fired 12 shots 'Good Old Buckles'.
Joan [daughter] went back today, she is sorry she is going off nights, she likes it very much.
[Joan Winch nursed at Oldchurch hospital and recalls one night when an incendiary bomb caught the ward alight. All the old men who never moved an inch in their beds normally, shot out of their beds when the ward caught alight. The sister found the night nurse under a table sobbing her eyes out. Well done nurse said sister, you did very well. But sister, sobbed the nurse, all the bacon has been bur
nt!]
Sammy our evacuee boy smoked a pipe today for the first timer and was very sick. I remember I did the same once when I was about 14,how silly are the young.

January 7th 11941

Jerry were flying low over the house today as cloud was low and I think I saw one jerry as it skimmed over the top of the house. Later in the afternoon 10 bombs were dropped in Stifford and injured two children. Our guns opened fire several times, I hear the children have died. Benny has been over the gun station to settle where they are to put wire for defense purposes. They have taken some more of our best land which is drilled with wheat. There's plenty of grouund at the back of them which won't grow anything.

January 8th 1941

Wrote a long letter to nanny [Tritton of Ford Place.] this evening, snow is going fast, the yard was very muddy so washed it down with pails of water. This is the second time this week the butcher has no meat for us, we don't mind if it will get this war over quicker, we are just beginning to know there is a war on in the food line.

January 9th 1941

Just going to feed my chickens when Mr. and Mrs. H came up and talk to her about farm things and she said what fine turkeys I had at Christmas. I said I was surprised myself about the weight of them and hope to have some more this year if I can get the right food. There was a raid on tonight and Benny argued that 4-5 guns put the shell higher than 3-7 and we said they go just the same height. However because we did n't believe what he said he got windy and went to bed. I'm not going yet till it cools down a bit, went out and looked at a shower of encendiary bombs burning and heard a lot more burst. They soon went out, it seemed they fell on open country .

January 10th 1941

The chief news today is tha our RAF have ffor the first time since th fall of France been over to bomb the Germans in occuppied France with fighter escorts, all returned safely, one pilot was unjured and crashed on landing. We saw them go and come back.

January 12th 1941

Anyone reading this book will I fear get rather bored about air raids as we have had a terrible raid tonight, bombs have been falling all around and a lot of incendiary bombs have fallen up our fields, some near the haystacks. Gerald and John ran and put them out, they light up the place like day. There was a big red glow up London way but it was soon put out.

January 13th 1941

My nephew came over this morning to say they were bombed out last night at 915 about. I turned on the news at 9.10 and Benny said turn it off. We all went out on the lawn and just as we got out showers of incendiary bombs were bursting with H.E. bombs and a jerry was up top and he let out a big bomb. We heard it coming down over Aveley way and heard it burst. That was the one that hit their house and destroyed 4 houses. My brother and his boys had just gone in the dugout and Maud was cold and went in to have a warm and listen to the news and it did happen. Alf came out and called her name, she answered and said she was alright! They hunted for her in the dust and rubble and got her out, the boy next door was having his supper, they dug him out ,both were unhurt. The only part of the 4 houses left was where Maud was sitting and the ceiling was only a few inches from her head. The rest was down. They hunted what goods they could find and have gone over to mothers to stay till they find somewhere to live. I said to Benny now is the time to show your friendship, when people are in trouble, and he did . He and Harold [son] got in the car and went to Wennington. Harold is carting some stuff today.

January 16th 1941

Early this morning there was a raid on London ans some bombs were dropped. my, they sure did bang. Two were brought down by our night fighters, they are getting good at it. Jean heard it roar down and it crashed to earth. A soldier from the camp was here and he said it came down in flames at Rook Hill.

January 17th 1941

Still very cold and snow is thick on the ground. The pond is still frozen over and the ducks go in their house on their own now and wait to be shut up.
Rationing is taking effect, we don't know wha to have for tea these days. Mostly toast for breakfast, it's easier and we have porridge. We have to save our bacon ration for dinner as we don't always get meat. Three days last week we had meat, we have to eat pigeons and rabbits for dinner. The butter ration is soon gone [2 onzes]. We have our own 1/2 pounds of sugar in seperate pots and there is always someone raiding ones sugar pot , I being the only one to take it in tea so I usually have some left.

January 18th 1941

Snowing very hard today and drifting up high ridges so keep all chickens and turkeys and ducks shut in. If out they would get lost in the drifts. I guess the eggs will go down in number as they are going down in price on Monday from 3/9 to 3/6d. I never heard of eggs going down in january before. That is what happens when they are controlled. If I can't get any more food when my present supply is gone there will be no hatching this year.

January 19th 1941

Jean and Doug [son] have gone over to Phills for tea, she is having a bit of a do so I have to do the incendiary bombs spotting. The siren went at 630p.m.. We have just come in from the raid so far slight. The guns have been firing up London way.
Every time a Jerry comes over my dog Terry barks so he gives us warning as to what is going on in the clouds near here. I was spotting near the old red may tree when I heard a large peice of shrapnel come whizzing down. I ducked and it landed some feet away. I guess it was from our own guns as they had just fired at a jerry over the house.

January 29th 1941
Benny went to Grays to the bank and then to the drapery store where Phyllis works and bought all the shirting they had in the shop [40 yards]. Had the shop in fits of laughter, all the girls crowded around him. Looks as if I shall be busy. Fed the chickens and milked the cow and was locking up for the night when the sirens went for the raid which is still on . Several jerries over here now , I WONDER WHAT OUR VISITOR FROM U.S.A. Mr. Wendell Wilkie thinks of air raids in London.

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