大象传媒

Here is some information that my Great Aunty Stella, now 79 years old, told me about her memories of her home life in Haslingden, Lancashire between 1939 and 1945.

Her elder brother, Donald Butterworth (my Grandpa), was in the Royal Air Force. He was a mechanic who repaired and serviced aircraft. He travelled to many countries during the war including training in Scotland, then Ghana, Africa, Libya, India, Afghanistan and Burma. He was once in an aircraft carrier which was torpedoed but fortunately not sunk and they managed to return safely to Ireland where all they had for Christmas dinner was a corned beef sandwich!!!

My Aunty remembers having food rationed for several years. Everyone had a ration book which you had to take with you every time you went shopping. Whilst at college she did not have a fresh egg for over two years!! She remembers that meat, bread, and fruit were rationed and hard to get. Sweets were a huge treat but my Aunty Stella was luck because her best friend (later to be my Granny) lived in a bakers shop which sold sweets!! Beside food, bedding and clothes were rationed too.

Grandpa could write to the family from abroad and the family could reply, however, a blue pencil was used by officials to cross out any details about the war. Only general conversations were allowed.

Walking out at night was not too easy in those days. There were no street lights allowed and houses had to completely black out there windows. If you opened the front door you had to switch off the hall light or you would be reported to the officials. There would be very few cars on the road but those that were had to have covers on their headlights so that the lights did not shine in the sky and be detected by passing planes.

A siren would sound when bombs were likely and everyone had to go into the cellar of their houses or school. Haslingden is 18 miles north of Manchester and my Aunty Stella could often see the city blazing after the bombs had fallen.

Once when visiting friends in Birmingham she saw bomb craters and bodies lying everywhere including a little boys welly, this made her very sad. Lists of dead people were posted on church doors and people were pushing each other to see if anyone they knew had been killed.

The family had an evacuated girl and teacher to stay from Manchester and Salford.

In Aunty Stella's form there were 9 girls and 18 boys. 5 of these boys were later killed in the war.

My Granny's cousin Roland Ashworth was a spitfire pilot and was shot down and killed.

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