大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Christine Butterfield of CSV Media on behalf of Pat Norris and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I lived in Stratford during the war. I was evacuated at the outbreak of war on 3 September at the age of 11. I was sent to West Mersey, near Colchester, on the coast. I was there for 6 months in 2 different billets. It was a very happy time. My elder sister and her husband used to visit us and we鈥檇 go to the beach. I did all the country things, blackberrying and picking primroses. I ate very well indeed at the first house. There were fruit trees we could pick from, the family son had a fish shop, and we collected fresh eggs from the 100 chickens. The chicken feed used to be stored in the air raid shelter! It was such a change from my life living in a tenement flat in London. The second family was charming too. I went back to see the families I stayed with at the 50th anniversary and I am still in touch with some of them. That was absolutely marvellous.

I went to the local village school in the mornings. In the afternoons everyone else went to the British Legion Hall and did country dancing but I had to do extra studying for my 11 plus. When I went to grammar school later in London in the first a week it suffered a direct hit so we could only go part time.

We were all evacuated out of the village after 6 months because of the threat of invasion. Mines were washed up on the beach. I returned to London in Easter 1940.

I know that not everyone had a happy time being evacuated, but I did. I am now involved with the Evacuees Reunion Association and I know there are unhappy stories too.

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