大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer, Martine Knight, on behalf of Winifred Thicke. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.

I was born in Rosebery Avenue, Plymouth in 1916. Dad was working as a foreman in Devonport Dockyard and, at the beginning of the First World War, was sent to Scotland so Mum took me to him when I was six weeks old and we lived there until the end of the war.

We returned to Plymouth and I was sent to Sailsbury Road Infants School. When I was ten years old I passed the examination, known as the scholarship, and passed high enough to go to Devonport Grammar School. This meant I had a ten minute walk to Friary station, a train journey to Devonport and another five minute walk to school. I loved my school days, but when I was nearly sixteen I heard of a vacancy in 'Moons', a large music store in George Street, Plymouth. I went for an interview and the manager said I could have the situation if my parents were willing (I had not told them I was applying).
Dad said he would invite Miss Moore, the Headmistress, to visit us. When she came she was disappointed that I was only going to be a shop assistant. However, Dad wanted me to be happy in whatever work I undertook so agreed to pay the three guineas so that I could leave the school.

I was delighted to join the staff of such a lovely shop and really enjoyed my work. In 1938 I became Manageress of the Gramophone Department.

One of the customers was in the Royal Navy. He enjoyed clasical music and, when possible, came in to find out about the new issues. He would give me the order and often went to sea and his mother would collect the records ready for his return. He seemed very grateful for my help and, at Christmas, he would send me a box of chocolates as a 'Thank You'.

I was a member of Salisbury Road Baptist Church. We had tennis and badminton courts, a drama group and choir, so I had plenty to occupy my mind each evening. Wednesday was the half day.

One afternoon this naval man came in and gave me an order for records and, as he went to go, he asked what I was doing that evening. As it happened I had an appointment to have a check up at the dentists. When I told him he thought I was making an excuse and asked the address of the dentist. When I came out of the dentists he was waiting outside and we walked home together. He came in several times to see me when he was ashore. He took me, one weekend, to meet his mother and we became engaged.

When rumours of the war circled around he was sent away for 2 1/2 years and I promised to marry him when he returned as we were engaged.

After 10 months, in October 1939, I had a phone call from him. He was in Scotland and would be on leave for 48 hours, from Saturday night to Monday morning, and wanted to get married on the Sunday, 5th November.

Naturally, I was surprised but, keeping my promise to marry him when he returned, I agreed. Our Mum's and I made the arrangements and my minister offered to marry us at 8 a.m. Sunday. Jack arrived 8.30 p.m. Saturday - I had returned from business an hour earlier. Mum had planned everything. My uncle obtained a permit for extra petrol to take us to the church and to Tavistock, where we spent the night, and he fetched us in the morning.

Jack returned to Devonport Naval base and, from there, did the patrol of the east coast and started a new course of A.A. gunnery. He was then sent away on a new ship 'The Bonaventure' and was delighted to be on an up to date vessel.
I went back to 'Moons'.

In 1941 Plymouth was bombed and 'Moons' was badly damaged the first night. We all did our best to save as much stock as possible. Costers Drapery Store, opposite, was not so badly damaged so they kindly stored it for us. However, the following night everything in the centre of Plymouth was bombed and burnt so we lost everything.

My friend, who was the Manageress of the Music department, and I went to our Exeter branch and, from there, we were able to order all the stock we needed to restart the business. Our manager and director obtained small business premises in North Hill so that, although only in a small way, it did give us a start to keep the business going.

I had stored all my furniture in our Millbay factory so I lost everything. Also, unknown to me at the time, my husbands ship had been sunk in the Mediterrean, as they came away from the Battle of Matapan. Jack was unconcious in a hospital in Alexandria. It was about six weeks before I was told, offically, about Jack.

'Moons' was started in a shop in North Hill, where they continued in business until Plymouth was being rebuilt, then they went into the city centre.

I became a volunteer in the fire service at the beginning of the war and when the siren sounded, day or night, I had to get to the station. With the concern for Jack, and the tension caused by running to and from the fire station while the raids were on and putting out incendiary bombs (I was given a bucket, a helmet, a stirrup pump and a gas mask), a large lump appeared on the left side of my neck. The doctor feared it was TB so I had to go, each day, to a makeshift hut for sunlight treatment. However, after some time they got rid of it, but the doctor would not let me do the fire drills. I went to work as usual.

Things quietened down and then, one night, the raiders returned at the East end of Plymouth. The church opposite our house, Salisbury Road Baptist Church, had a bomb go down through the tower. The tower collapsed and the church hall was damaged. This was where, until that weekend, we had housed those bombed out and homeless. However, they had all been rehoused. Our minister and his wife used to stop in the hall and Mum and I helped serve cups of tea in the mornings while they were there. The windows and ceilings in the front of our house were shattered.

Eventually Jack arrived at North
Road station. It was bitterly cold that January - all he wore was the No.3 Navy suit over a pair of pyjamas, shoes and socks. He had been in South Africa - the hospitals at Durban, Pietermaritburg and Johannasburg That had made him fit to travel, but they were told on the hospital ship to keep his lungs deflated as he had oil fuel on them and they were damaged. However, they allowed the lungs to inflate so he was a sick man on arrival. I had to borrow coupons from friends to get him clothes. Things quitened down again.

We had a Morrison shelter in the front room and Jack slept there and was there when the bomb fell. All the front of the house was shattered. I had just got back from putting out an incendiary bomb.

That weekend we had decided that Mum & Dad should have a break so they had gone to St. Ann's Chapel - to Jack's Mum. When they saw the flames they came back immediately.
The church was badly damaged.

Eventually Jack and I had a flat, which consisted of a lounge, bedroom and tenement room to be used as a kitchen, but it had no running water or any conveniences. I had to do the washing in the bath and had two jugs of water on the kitchen table for washing the dishes. Everything had to be emptied down the toilet.

Jack had a short spell at Didworthy Sanatorium and Mount Gould TB unit as I was ill with a poisoned hand caused by tension. I had to continue working as Jack only had a small pension and we needed the money to pay for the flat. Jack was given six months to live so 'Moons' gave me six months leave to look after him, but he lasted two years. He eventually died of a haemorrhage.

When 'Moons' heard they offerd me a job as an assistant which I gladly accepted and it was there that I met James, my second husband. We had 34 years of happiness together before he died in 1985. I have one daughter, by my second husband, and she and her husband are wonderfully kind and helpful to me. My two grandsons are at university.

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