大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by Sue Sutton on behalf of Betty Joyce Forsyth, the author and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was 19 when war broke out and living with my parents in Wake Street Pennycome quick. I worked in a big store called 'Casters' next door to the Western Morning News offices in Frankfurt Street. When war broke out I applied for a job in the station sorting office at Pennycomequick and was there from 1939 - 1945.

My father was recalled to the Navy and was stationed at a naval base in Henstridge, where he received the British Empire Medal fro zeal and devotion to duty. I was very proud of my father.

I can remember the first raids in 1940 it was a very frightening time because we really didn't know what to expect. My uncle who was a carpenter reinforced our two cupboards under the stairs, so every time the sirens went we just sat under the stairs with our candles and sometimes we had some food and drink because the raids could last about an hour to four hours. I use to write letters to my husband, or else do some knitting for the troops, like scarves and socks. We use to hear the planes come across the town and then the shrill whistle of the bombs falling. Our house was not hit but a big bomb fell in the next street and we had curb stones falling in the courtyard. Luckily we stuck wide cellotape, criss cross on our windows, so that when the blast caught them they didn't break but just splintered.

I use to work mostly nights in the Sorting Office and we weren't allowed to shelter until our supervisor gave us the order, which meant that many times we were caught on the top floor of the Sorting Office when the bombs were droppig, when we were told to go to the shelter we use to run across the top floor to a parcel shute this was meant for mail bags to be transported from the top floor to the basement ready to go on to the truck for the station, or should I say the mail train. We use to sit on a mail bag and someone would give you a push and away you would go to the ground floor and then run to the shelters. I remember once a crowd of us were runnning and a bomb dropped on houses in Russell Place this is across the road from the Sorting Office, we were all flung to the ground and many were injured.

I sometimes had a duty in the First Aid Room, and one night North Road Station was bombed, we had several naval men in for first aid and one Petty Officer was covered in blood, but after wer cleaned him up wer found out he had only a split ear, but the blood was terrible, he was then transfered to the hospital, but after a few weeks he came in to see us and thanked us for helping him, which was very nice. Sometimes during day light hours we use to hear a German plane circulate the town and if it circled a certain part, like the Dockyard, Plymstock etc we knew that they were going to bomb it that night. One night I was in town with a girl friend and the alert went, we were near the the Theatre Royal, so we sheltered behind the pillars and just watched Union Street burn, the incendiaries bombs were coming down fast and furious. After a while a ARP warden told us to get home, so we had to run along George Street and up to North Road, we were dodging the incendiaries, but luckily we got home safely, but Pennycomequick was a mess, all the tram lines were up in the air and a tram was upside down over by the public house, there were fires everywhere, the devastation was terrible. The next night we had another big raid, thousands use to treck into the neighbouring countryside like the moors, over to Torpoint and then use to come home after the raids were over. No lights were on in the streets because of the blackouts but all the fires could light your way home.

My mother and I were lucky about getting enough to eat because my dad had an allotment in Central Park and while he was in the navy I use to go and plant and dig vegetables, because our meat ration was next to nothing. Once a week I use to come home from work at 7am, fetch my mother from the shelter in Central Park and then walk into town and go to a little shop in York Street, and queue until nine oclock for half a pound of tripe, with this and onions from our allotment that would be a dinner for us. There were no bananas, so we use to boil parsnip and get banane essence from Boats, mash and mix all together, that was our bananas, not bad really.

When I was married in 1942, all my relatives gave me some clothing coupons, so I could buy a nice dress. My winter coat was a blanket which my Aunt who was a tailoress made into a coat, and also had enough to make a hat. My furniture I had to buy with coupons and I can remember going to Ebrington Street buying a bed and wardrobe and the man sild me a rug which he didn't take any coupons for, but I beleive the rug was expensive.

I can't remember the day that peace came, I think I was out at Flete Maternity Home having my son John, because the Maternity Home at Freedom Fields had been bombed.

I also remember that every raod sign was taken down even street names were removed, this proved very difficult if you visited a town for the first time, all you could do was ask people on the street the way. the reason for this I beleive was that if Hitler had invaided our country we would make it most difficult for him to know exactly where he was, also if you had iron railings around your garden the authorities came and removed them all and they were sent up the Country to the munition factories to be made into guns etc. I remember the old cemetary near where I lived had tall iron railings all around, and these were also removed, and if you had any old pots and pans they use to go around the streets collecting them, all were used for munitions, not a thing was wasted.

I really can't think of anything else to tell you, but beleive me the comradeship during the war was wonderful we were never miserable or downhearted and each and everyone of us worked hard. We never missed a mail train, even when the bombs were falling the mail train was on time, we made sure our service people received their post regularly. I pray that we never have to go through those years again.

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