大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the peoples war site by Adam Hassan for GMR Action desk on behalf of Margaret Staveley and has been added with her permission. The author is fully aware of the terms and conditions of the site.

I was born in 1933. My memories are what I remember happening during my childhood. My father was a farm manager for Mr Johnson who's farm was in a little Hamlett near Lancaster (Lancs). We lived in a bungalow on land belonging to the farm. My father had to join the Home Guard and work nights as well as looking after the farm animals. Mr and Mrs Johnson had a Summer House situated on the farm at Halton Green. The Summer House was taken over by the air force. The Summer House was on top of a hill looking over towards Morcambe Bay and Lancaster.

Father's job was to watch for aircraft sent by the enemy. I remember having to walk up to the top of the hill to take my father his supper. There were no lights except from the moon and stars. I had to walk at least a mile through fields to reach the top of the hill. Sometimes my father would let me look up into the sky though whatever it was, he watched for planes. The planes were trying to bomb Borrow ship yard. I remember from time to time the enemy plans would drop a bomb on their way back home. One of these dropped about half a mile from where I lived. The only damage was a big hole in the farmers field.

The Policeman stationed in Halton on Lune came down our road each night and used to shout at mum if there was even the smallest slit in the black out curtain. father used to have to go to different places to take exams for recognising different airplanes. He must have been quite good because he won a silver spoon for having the highest score, he wont it on November 2nd I remember, as it was my birthday so dad said I couold have the spoon. (It is still in the family).

There was a training camp at Halton near Lancaster. My home was in the country and a quarter mile away from any other property. The soldiers used to march around the country roads and once a week and sometimes more. They would come in to the field along side our bungalow and train for shooting the enemy. I remember we were aksed to stay inside the house while the soldiers lay flat on their stomachs, one line at the top of the field and another line of soldiers at the bottom. I wasn't old enough to appreciate what was taking place. I was aloud to watch through the window. The soldiers were about two yards from where I was watching. I was always glad to see them go. I was in school and the soldiers were marching, all the school children went out and clapped as they passed the school.

Everday we had to carry our gas masks to school along with our packed lunch. I walked to school, it was about one and a half miles to Halton Village School.My mother had a baby in 1939, and I remember someone coming with an oval lookin cylinder. It was a different kind of gas mask that my baby sister had to be put into if the Germans dropped gas. I think that's what we were told. After I had had my gas mask for about two years, the man from the war office came and put an extra piece of metal filter on to all of the gas masks in the school class. We had to have a practice once a week to see how quickly we could put on our gas masks. I hated it and took as long as I dared, before finally putting the straps over my head. I still find it hard to have anything around my head.

My mother's mother father lived in Dalton in Furness. I sent all my holidays and some weekends with my grandparents. Living near Barrow, the siren went quite often. Usually through the night. We had to get up and go down in to the cellar while the all clear siren went. At first I thought it great fun being able to get up in the night. It got to be almost every night. It was very funny as the cellar wasn't a nice place to try to sleep. There was some airraid shelters about two hundred yards from grans house but unfortunately they had never been finished so no-one used them.

I remember, after a raid we would go to Barrow for shopping and some shops and houses would have all the windows shattered and work men were busy seeping up glass and putting wire mesh up at the shop windows. I used to hear to drone of the plans flying over and then the bobs dropping . I can't remember if Barrow ship-yard was ever severly damaged but I remember one night the public baths was flattened to the ground. Barrow was protected by barrage-balloons, Big Torpedo like balloons, all silverly grey I never understood what they were there for.

I remember also watching men put barbed wire all along the coast line. I used to go with gran to Sand Seale where we collected winkles (and still do). This is when I saw the men unwindinh barbed wire and netting. Gran said it was to stop the Germans landing on our beaches. My aunt worked in the factory that made components for aircraft. I think one factory was called Armstrong Siddleys. I'm not sure but I think it might have been at Ulverston, a town about six miles from Barrow. I also remember a plane coming down on the outskirts of Dalton. We, as children, were very excited and walked to see the remains that were partly buried in the ground. It was all hush hush, with parents. We never really found out whether it was a German or our own plane. Lots of official people were around and we couldn't get too near.

I remember when I was eight or nine. Mum managed to get three bananas. My young sister was still under five years, so mum managed to get the bananas from Lancaster market on my young sisters green rations book. Apparently, children under five couldhave bananas if they could find a fruit shop selling them. It seemed very rare. Even though my childhood was during the war I still feel my school days were happier than the children of today. We made our own games and had fun. A season for different games and activities e.g. marbles, boolie, bat and ball, conkers, whip and top, skipping ropes and lots of other games which I never see children playing today.

With the kindest regards to anyone reading
my memories.

Yours Sincerely Mrs Margaret Staveley.

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