大象传媒

As told by DOLL AMY TWITCHETT

When the war started we were living in Victoria Dock Road. We were down Rathbone Street hop picking when war was declared. Silvertown Way had a lot of houses knocked down by bombs. Parents would not allow children out on their own. If children were out it was not with their parents' permission.

The warning siren sounded like this "booh booh" when raids started and then one long tune a "woohing" was sounded for the all clear.
During one raid one night, I took shelter with my mum and brother under Silvertown Bridge ( a new bridge). Councilmen came round and told us it wasn't safe and to go to shelter in Hallsville Primary School. However, my mum refused their offer and we stayed put under the bridge. That same night Hallsville was bombed and all who were sheltering there were killed.

We were evacuated to Stoke on Trent, the whole family stayed together (very unusual) because mum was a widow.
I had a 20something sister who lived in Stoke on Trent. Me, mum and my brother went to join my sister's family of eight! While we stayed at Stoke on Trent, we helped to make pottery because there were a shortage of workers.
Rationing - once the coupons were used you got no more until the next month. While we were in Stoke on Trent we never got cheese or bacon.
When we came back to London, we moved to Plaistow and stayed there until the end of the war. The Council put up an air raid shelter in our back garden.

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