大象传媒

These are my recollections of the two billets I remember most warmly. The other four remain as not too happy memories. One at the beginning of the war and the other toward the end.
At the beginning of the war (September 1, 1939) my name was Sheila Gray. I was 7 and my sister Monica was 9 and we were both boarders at St. Vincent鈥檚 Convent in Westminster. My sister Joyce was 9, and she was a day girl at the convent. My sister Jill was 18 months. I was evacuated with the convent and was sent to the village of Fordcombe in Kent. I, together with another girl, who I did not know, were sent to Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell at Little Hickman Farm. My sisters had been evacuated together to the village of Leigh, also in Kent.
There must have been a few evacuees in Fordcombe because we had our own teachers and had school in the village hall. I do not know how long I was with the Mitchells or why I was moved, I only know I remember that time with great fondness. I know I was there through the winter because the winter of 1939 was bitterly cold, and there was a lot of snow. The Mitchells had a small pond on the farm which froze over, of course it could have been only inches deep, but to me it was the biggest lake I had ever seen. We children tied skates to our shoes and skated. At least that is how I remember it - in actual fact we probable were held up and helped around by the adults, but I remember it as so much fun. Mr. Mitchell had to dig paths to the barn and cowshed, and the snow was taller than me. I remember I was there for harvesting, but that might have been the September of 1939. After the harvesting and the threshing Mrs. Mitchell used to re-stuff the pillows and mattress with the chaff. The other girl and I slept in a huge bed which was so soft because of the chaff. In the spring both of us were given a baby lamb to feed, and name. We named them Larry and Leticia Lamb after a children鈥檚 hour program on the radio. We would feed them with bottles with large teats on them. We also collected the sheep鈥檚 wool that had got caught on bushes and fences, and I believe that Mrs. Mitchell actually spun that wool. I know she made throw rugs from scraps of cloth and old hopsack bags. Mr. Mitchell had a huge farm horse named Dolly that he let us ride, but Dolly was so wide our little legs stuck out the sides. I remember watching the men milk the cows and they would squirt the milk into our mouths, it was warm and sweet. The Mitchells kept ferrets which they used when they went to catch rabbits. We never went with them to catch rabbits, but I just loved the rabbit pie that Mrs. Mitchell made. The Mitchells had two grown sons and when identity cards were issued my number was DJXB9/5. The 5 indicated I was the fifth person in that household, so I must have been older than the other little girl. I remember that the other little girl got a two wheeler bicycle and I learnt to ride it before her. My mother came to visit me once when I was with the Mitchells, with my new baby brother, Ian, who was born in January 1940 and was thus a 鈥渨ar baby.鈥� I made my First Communion while I was there and I remember my mother sent Mrs. Mitchell a satin evening slip from which she made my dress. I felt like a princess. It was while I was at the Mitchells that I went to my first funeral. A little boy had died and all the children walked behind the hearse singing children鈥檚 hymns. I was happy at the Mitchells, and I do not know why we were moved. I only hope it was because most of the children and teachers had returned to London, and not because she didn鈥檛 want to have us any more.

Skipping the next three billets . . . .

When the doodle-bugs came over I, together with my sister Jill (with whom I had been billeted for a short time previously) were moved to Cornwall. It took us all day to reach Cornwall, by train. As we got near to Cornwall we passed these huge white hills which looked like the pyramids of Egypt. I later learned they were from the china factories. I remember being in a large hall with all the other evacuees and about seven of us were counted out and put to one side. We then were all put onto a bus and were 鈥渄elivered鈥� to various houses. We came to a large Manor house - the biggest house I had ever seen, and the bus driver started to count out some children. I told me that we had already been counted and that all those sitting on this side of the bus were to go together. Here we were staying with Squire and Mrs. Johnstone, and I believe some mothers from London were also there to look after us. The house was Trewithen near the village of Probus. Our bedrooms were in the top of the house, directly under the eaves, and sometimes bats would fly down the hall. I believe the other rooms we were allowed to use were actually the servants quarters. Mrs. Johnstone was very kind to us. She took us to the movies in Truro, and riding in her big car was such a great thrill. She also took us to the seaside. This time I went to the Wesleyan Church School in the village of Probus. I had previously passed my 11+ examination and was going to the grammar school in Tonbridge, but here my grammar school education was forgotten. There was a home farm attached to the Trewithen Estate and we would visit it and they let us feed the chickens or watch them milk. It was at this farm I actually saw a calf being born, I was now about 11 陆. I loved the grounds of Trewithen, we would explore all of the gardens (which are world famous today). The walk to school was over a mile and I remember in the winter, when the rains were heavy, that my sister Jill and I were the only ones with waterproof shoes or wellingtons and we had to go to school and the others stayed home. I was a little envious of them. But later the local farmer wanted some fo the children from the school to help pick potatoes, but only those with waterproof shoes or wellingtons could help, then I was the only one from our group allowed to help. We would walk down the rows picking up the potatoes and putting them into baskets, which when they were filled the adults would take away. I think we got a shilling a day, but we were not allowed to work more than three days a month. Someone asked me just recently what was the best Christmas I could remember and without hesitation I said my Christmas at Trewithen. They had the biggest Christmas tree I had ever seen, and they gave us so many presents. My father had also sent a lot of presents down to us. My father was a good carpenter, he had made me a scooter, and a new pencil box. He had made my sister a doll鈥檚 cradle. Also that Christmas the local American Air Force base had invited the evacuees for a Christmas party. They gave us chocolate and sweets we hadn鈥檛 seen for years. My sister actually ate her first banana and orange. Yes that was definitely the best Christmas I can remember. I liked my time with the Johnstones, and do not know why we were moved..

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