大象传媒

I lived in Birmingham so I was evacuated to my auty's in Northampton. My first proper memory was when I was 3 or 4 and a convoy of tanks came down the road. As they went past I remember the road just breaking and crumbling under the weight of them all.

I then came back to Yardsley for a short while and then my mom, dad and me moved out to Coventry, to Berkwell. My parents decided to move there as they wanted me with them but it was to dangerous in Birmingham. We moved into a shepherds cottage. Although we did have blackout curtains, my mother embroidered flowers all over them to make them look brighter.

The German planes sounded different to the English ones and we would often go out and watch them flying over. One night we watched loads more than usual going over. Little did I know then that they were bombing Coventry. The next day people started coming down the hill by our house with wheel barrows and baby carriages looking very upset. They were housed in the school, which was great for the local kids because they had time off!

There was an appeal for clothes and bedding and household stuff. I took my mom's best cutlery set. She wasn't very happy with me I can tell you! She did eventually get it back though.

I remember that I was very put out that I never got to wear my Mickey mouse gas mask, something I had been eagerly awaiting!

My dad was the Sergeant Major in the Home Guard and we had a car. Me and my mom weren't allowed in it but we still felt posh having a car!

We grew all our own vegetables and had chickens and pigs. My dad used to have a big coat with loads of pockets, when he came back from his Home Guard duty he used to produce like a magician things from out of these pockets. Chickens, eggs, rabbits, you name it, out it came!

After the war finished I remember Montgomery came through our village in an open top jeep. We all cheered and waved our Union Jacks.

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jacci Phillips of the CSV Action Desk at 大象传媒 Hereford and Worcester on behalf of June Powell and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

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