´óÏó´«Ã½

This story was submitted to the People’s War web site by a volunteer on behalf of Peggy Chamberlain and has been added to the site with her permission. She fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

We lived at Parley Common, which was very isolated, and although it was just by the Airport and there were lots of soldiers guarding it, our life was not really affected by the war. I remember there was a Scots regiment at the airport at one time, because I remember their kilts and it was exciting to talk to the soldiers. The American soldiers gave us piles of oranges.
The lane from our house was very long and it always flooded in winter, and I had to walk to school in Ferndown. The school received parcels from the Canadians and I acquired some Wellington boots from one of these parcels.
There were evacuees at school, though I didn’t get to know them at all as we locals went to school in the morning and the evacuees went to school in the afternoon.
I can remember convoys of lorries and lots of planes going over for D Day.
We didn’t seem to be short of food at all, but I can remember that when I needed some new shoes, Mother and Father and I went to Winton in the horse and cart to buy some and there weren’t any girls’ shoes and I had to have a pair of boy’s shoes with toecaps.
I suppose that I must have been upset as I remember that very well.
When Southampton was bombed, we watched from home and it was like a big firework display.
I left school when I was 14, and got a job immediately and on VE Day, went with some friends from work to Bournemouth to celebrate. It was very crowded, and the fountains had been turned on and people were dancing and jumping into them and singing. We stayed until midnight it was very noisy and crowded.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.