大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Emma Hart from the AGC Musuem, Winchester, on behalf of Mr Moody, and was added to the site with his permission. Mr Moody fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

In January of the New Year (1945), my mother told me that I had to return to London to work. I certainly did not want to leave the John's house,and Jessica did not want me to go. To try to keep me, she offered a 50% increase in my wage, making it a princely sum of 15 shillings per week. I thought that this was an offer that nobody could refuse! WRONG - Mum could and so back to London I went once more.

It was now the beginning of February 1945. Mum had made up her mind that she needed a plumber in the family, so I was taken to several building firms asking about vacancies for a plumbers mate. The only vacancy I could find was with Robbins of Bell Green, Sydenham, who required a painter and decorators mate. Mum accepted this, and on February 7th , 1945, I started my career as a painter and decorator, working with an old fellow in his 60's. I worked alongside him for 3 years, until I joined the RAF to complete my National Service.

In February 1945, the air raids were still continuing, though not so heavy as they had been. There were far fewer Doodlebugs and the raids by aircraft consisted of just one or two aircraft, and again were fewer. However, we were still getting the V2 rockets. These raids continued for the next 3 months. I well remember trying to go to Blackheath Village to help board up a United Dairies proerty, which had been severely damaged by such a rocket, and also one at Blackfen. At Blackfen, whole rows of houses had disappeared into a crater. On another occassion, we went to a house fire at Norwood where deaths had occured.

In early May, at last, the War with Germany came to an end. What a way to celbrate my 15th birthday!

Yes, we had lived in fear for 6 years, but I cannot recall anyone asking if you were scared. Nobody offered an arm of comfort - you were just expected to get on with it. There had been the raids, never knowing where you would end up during evacuation, the strangers, strange homes and the endless different schools. Having to decide for yourself what you should do. As evacuee's , you were taken into people's homes and yes- you were given a bed and fed, but however much you would have liked to have been part of that family, you were not. You were always on the outside looking in. But I have no complaints against the families who took me into their homes. To this day, I still think of them as special to me, and hope that in return, I left a little of myself with them. I shall always be grateful to them. Looking back, I often wonder exactly what our parents were told could happen to their children in the war that persuaded them to send us to complete strangers in unknown places. Seom children, even younger than we were at the time, were sent abroad.

This is the story of my War. I have not mentioned our constant friend thus far - which by law we had to take everywhere with us - our Gas Mask. Thank God we never had to use them. So many people would have perished just trying to put them on. The blackouts I havent mentioned, nor the dustbins at the corners of each street, used for pig swill, nor have I mentioned the queues you joined, only finding out at the end of the queue exactly what was on offer.

Then there was The Smog - this we looked on as our friend, because if we had smog, we didnt get an air raid.

Our sweet ration consisted of 2 ounces per week per person. This was only enough to buy a belnded chocolate bar, which was half milk/half plain, and cost threepence. Meat was also rationed - 1 s 2 d per week. You could buy 2 breasts of lamb, but if there was a shortage of meat, it was eleven epennyworths of corned beef.

I could go on and on, but I guess that is it for now.

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