大象传媒

In 1939, we listened to the announcement from Winston Churchill, saying we are at war with Germany. My brother Eddie Edward Tanner, who had joined the Territorial Army had gone on a cycling holiday with a friend. He arrived back home because of the announcement.

We had to have all our windows blacked out. My first born was born on 2 August 1939, when the buzz bombs started to come over. The Germans started to send them over, my husband who came from Northumberland said we should go and stay with his oldest sister. She made us very welcome and we stayed until the buzz bombs stopped. My husband joined the air raid wardens and we moved to be nearer my married sister. I can remember the buzz bombs very clearly the noise and big flame coming from the back of it as they went over our road, waiting to see if it went quiet then it meant it was going to explode. Someone was getting it. One did come quite close to where we lived, in Mount Road, Chatham, at the end of the road. It did not explode right away, and my husband came into the house. I had only just had my second baby girl, born on 28 February 1941. The bed had been brought down stairs because of the air raids. My husband John came in and threw himself over myself and two daughters who were on the bed with me. I was the one that did not explode right away. I was told there were two houses that were hit. The people in them wouldn鈥檛 leave. I do not remember what happened after that, the houses were pulled down and rebuilt later.

Another memory was one very misty morning looking out of my front door and seeing one of the barrage balloons had come adrift. Could just about make it out through the mist. Also we saw planes in the sky another time while we were staying in my sisters air raid shelter which was made very well. My brother in law had put bunk beds in it, so we had gone along the terrace as soon as the sirens went off. One German came down in a parachute a few streets away called Holcombe Road. I have a couple of photos of my first baby and also a son and daughter who I dressed up in our union Jack, clothes I made, this was I think the Coronation of our Queen.
My husband was lucky I suppose, he was called up at the end of the war and was on a train going to Venice. He told me afterwards that if they had all known the end of the war had been given out would they have all gone to Venice? He was there a few months before coming home, my children and I were sitting talking and I said I wonder when Daddy will be home. Not long after he came in our front door which made us very happy.

When he was sent later to Faversham or Gravesend (not sure of where) I went with a sister in law to see him. Of course we had to go by train it was quite late when we left to go to the station to catch one back. There was a lady with her daughter who told us they had missed their last train home and did not know what to do, can鈥檛 stay here on the platform until the morning. I said they were welcome to come home with us, though I we hadn鈥檛 any spare beds but they were both welcome to stay. They had a blanket and slept on the settee and one of the chairs, which they did. I do not remember their names. I often wonder if the daughter is still alive and remembers doing this, it was just before the end of the war.

A Strange Coincidence

My husband, John Cook, had a friend called Herman Lewis. They had been friends from way back when they were children. While serving in the Army during the Second World War, Herman Lewis met up with my brother, Edward Henry Tanner, who was in the Territorial Army. They were both in tents - awaiting orders I suppose.

Herman went into the nearest tent and asked, 鈥淗ave any of you chaps got any spare brown paper? I鈥檝e swapped my tabs (cigarettes) for chocolates to send home to my little daughter and cannot get any brown paper鈥�.

My brother, Edward Tanner, said, 鈥淵ou can have this piece but you will need to turn it over and use the other side as my sister sent me the parcel which has her name and address on鈥�.

Well, when Herman read the name and address he could not believe the parcel had come from his friend John鈥檚 wife who was living in Kent. He could not believe he was talking to his old friend John鈥檚 wife鈥檚 brother. Although they lived far apart, it was meant for them to meet even in the war.

The Rag and Bone Man.

I remember one day during the Second World War, I found I was short of pennies for the gas meter to cook my family鈥檚 dinner.

I heard the rag and bone man coming down the road. So I said to my two oldest daughters, Gloria and Margaret, take a few old clothes to get some pennies for the gas meter.

So off they went and soon came back with 鈥� not pennies 鈥� but they carried a shoe box. I said, 鈥淲hat have you got there?鈥� 鈥淟ovely little chicks鈥� said Gloria. 鈥淚 cannot put them in the meter, half a dozen chicks鈥�. So I put them in a bird cage we had. We found out they were all cock chicks, so when they were old enough we gave them away. I could not eat them myself after feeding them for months.

My husband had to build a run for them until we found someone who would have them.

Mrs Joan May Cook, nee Tanner.
(07.03.04)

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