大象传媒

This story is taken from an interview with Betty Craig, and has been added to the site with their permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions. The interview was by Walter Love, and transcription was by Bruce Logan.
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I was born and brought up in Birmingham 鈥� Bourneville, Cadbury World. And I was 13 when the war broke out and 19 when the war finished, so all my teenage years were spent during the war, and I really did enjoy it. It鈥檚 dreadful to say, but I really did enjoy every minute. I joined a group of singers. We were funded by ENSA, and we went round all the camps entertaining the troops. My Sister was called up aged 21. She was given the choice of the Army, the Land Army or work in a Munitions factory. She chose the Army. So when I came in late at night, my mother said 鈥淵ou out enjoying yourself, and your sister away at the war!鈥�
You always felt a little bit guilty because you weren鈥檛 at the war.

In Birmingham too. I lived near Longbridge. It was a big munitions factory. During the air raids the Germans were after the munitions factory. And Coventry.
I remember the night that Coventry was blitzed. My father was in the Home guard at the time. It was very very frightening.

[The choir was very elegant]
We had white long dresses with red boleros in red velvet.
鈥淎 Nightingale sang in Berkley Square鈥� was our signature tune. And when the curtain went up there were 16 of us, all aged between 15-25, so all pretty young.
The curtain went up to 鈥淎 Nightingale sang in Berkley Square鈥�, and we always got a round of applause for that.

On VE day the excitement was tremendous.
In Bourneville there was lots of street parties. And Cadburys gave all the children chocolate biscuits.
The day after, you expected everything back to normal.
Not having the blackout, not having to go out with your torch, that to me was wonderful. And not having the Warden say 鈥減ut out that light!鈥�

Lots of my generation had lost boyfriends. There was a lot of sadness. But we expected things to get back to normal a lot sooner than they did. Rationing went on until 1954-5.
When I was married in 48, getting clothes coupons was very difficult.
It took a long time to get back to usual.

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