大象传媒

I lived in Kidderminster during the war. My brother was born the day war started, 3rd September 1939.

I lived in Crescent Road, Kidderminster. I remember when the sirens went off the family would clamber underneath the dining table, which was made of iron, for safety. Sometimes our family would join the people who owned the off-licence at the end of the road in their cellar.

I never felt unhappy during the war. They were super days. One of the things we did was to have races with snails.

People would make the best of what they had. My mother would light the boiler for the washing. Of course, there were no washing machines in those days.

My father was in the RAF. I was 5 years old when he came home. He was a stranger to me. I didn鈥檛 want to stay alone with him when my Mum left me, to go to the shops. I stood at the back door crying for my Mum to come home. I never gelled with my father. I was lucky, to have very loving grandparents.

I remember seeing a black man for the first time. I was playing with some children in Cobden Street, when we saw some American army soldiers coming through; some of them were black men. All my friends shouted, 鈥淗ey, there鈥檚 a black man鈥�. We ran home frightened.

We did get used to seeing them around Kidderminster. They would throw us bits of chewing gum. We鈥檇 never seen chewing gum before.

Sharing a tin of condensed milk with my brother was another treat for me. We would squeeze into an armchair together, at home and enjoy the sweet tasting milk.

My mum鈥檚 youngest brother, Uncle Henry, was killed in Italy, on the 9th May 1945. He was only 21 years old when he died. He was killed under a mined bridge. My grandfather was very, very sad when he died.

My auntie worked in the caf茅 in Kidderminster, above the old Marks and Spencer shop. An American soldier used to sit in the caf茅 drinking coffee, day after day. My auntie couldn鈥檛 help wondering why. Apparently he had fallen in love with my auntie, it was love at first sight for him. They wrote many letters to one another. Finally, he proposed and she accepted. They were married and moved to America. They had one son.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Jill Taylor for the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Hereford and Worcester on behalf of Valerie Kay and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

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