大象传媒

I was eight years old in 1941 and living in Dartford. After we were bombed out in 1941 we moved to a cheap 1930s semi-detached rented house in Chastiliann Road which was not only near a large sand extraction pit in which children used to climb down and play, but also Dartford Heath. This was a marvellous place, we made 'dens'. There were rival gangs and we were often out all day, taking a thick sandwich of dripping (solidified fat and juice off meat) or if we were lucky, cheese.

There was often no heating in winter if the coal ration ran out and water pipes would freeze up. Our clothes weren't that warm. Boys wore short trousers up to the age of fourteen and there were no trousers for girls. I had chilblains not only on my feet, legs and hands, but ears too. Broken chilblains were agony and I still have the marks on my feet.

People say now that it was more safe for children to go out alone years ago, but there were flashers and such like in those days as well. The type of thing that happened to us would make headlines now in the local paper or TV news, but we never told our parents.

They wouldn't have believed us and even if we thought they might have, we didn't want to be forbidden to play there. But no-one got murdered and it was all rather a game really.

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Helena Noifeld and has been added to the website on behalf of Valerie Martin (nee Holman) with her permission. She fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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