大象传媒

This story was added to the website on behalf of Irene by Joanne with Irene鈥檚 permission.

In 1940 I was evacuated from my home in Leeds to Ings cottages, Crofton, Wakefield. I was sent to live with Mr and Mrs Parkin, they lived near to Sharleston Colliery and that is where Mr Parkin worked. When I was evacuated I had to do household jobs like black lead the fire and I was not used to doing these things, I just wanted to go home.

I was only there for one year and then I returned to Leeds to start work. One of my first jobs was in an iron foundry. There were lots of men working in the iron foundry and they used to swear a lot. I went home and told my Mum she laughed about them swearing. It was very hot in the foundry and there were fires going all day. At first I did not like it in the foundry but then I got used to it. After been evacuated I wanted to be as close to home as possible and the iron foundry was the nearest job. The other job I could have done was making things for the war at a factory based on the site of where Tescos is now on Roundhay Road.

Both my sisters worked on munitions. In 1944/1945 I met my husband who was based in Italy during the war.

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