大象传媒

And so, away again.Part 1.

Stories of an evacuee.

Charles Osborne, born 9th. July 1932 at the Naval Hospital, Portsmouth.

At the start of the war in September 1939, I lived in Penhale Road, Portsmouth and went to the infant school in that road.
The house was a two bedroom terrace with a small back garden.

My father was a Royal Marine; and because of two 3 year commissions that took him away to China and Ceylon, (Sri Lanka now ); I saw very little of him up to the declaration of war. Then of course he was at war; first protecting convoys between Halifax ( Canada ) and England; followed by the Cape Town to England protection runs. After this he was on the cross channel guns at Deal firing to France; and I was away evacuated.

All the infants were evacuated to Romsey, about 15 miles away, to the North West of Southampton. My mother was making arrangements to come to Romsey as soon as possible with my sister Eileen who was 2 years younger.
I remember going to another road nearby and boarding a coach with a school friend. He cried a lot, so I made up my mind to try not to cry as well.
I was very unhappy for the few weeks before my mother managed to find a place in Romsey. The people I was billeted with were kind; but I think that I was probably inconsolable. I was able to see my mother more often now that she had found a flat to rent, and then we were all able to live together.
Sometime early in 1940, a number of children returned to Portsmouth because there did not seem to be the need to be evacuated. ( the phoney war time ). I continued at Penhale Road Infant School with the very reduced number of children that now attended.

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