大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Jean McLean of Renfrewshire Libraries on behalf of Ann Crawford and hasbeen added to the site with her permission. Ann Crawford fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was six when the war started. These are some of the things that I can remember from that time.
I remember railings taken down from the walls, blackout curtains,clothes rationing, make do and mend and knitting squares for blankets.

I stayed with my grandmother, father and aunt. My grandmother was a dressmaker so I had plenty of clothes to wear and my aunt knitted me sweaters. She would unpick a jersey and knit it into something else.

Troops were billeted in the town. The paper mill was converted into a barracks and officers were billeted on any one with a spare room.. We had a variety of officers both English and Polish staying with us. I got a bicycle sent up from Sheffield by the girlfriend of one of the English lieutenants.
The Ochil hills were used by the troops for training. One day some children playing in the Bluebell Woods at the bottom of the hills picked up an unexploded mortar and took it home to Coalsnaughton. It exploded in the house killing and injuring them .After that we were warned not to play in these woods

Odd evacuees came to stay with relatives and attended our school. We had to carry our gas masks and had regular drills in wearing them. This happened in both primary and secondary school.

The primary school was burnt down and we were put in different halls depending on class.

My war effort was collecting for penny a week for the Red Cross. I collected in the street where I lived and also in the barracks.
My father was in the Home Guard and my aunt and friends were firewatchers. I had an uncle in the Royal Engineers at the Dday landings. I used to write to him regularly.

Rationing didn鈥檛 affect me much. My father gave me his sweet coupons, we bought eggs every Friday from an old lady(10/ for 6 eggs.) She used to bring them to the house just as I would be going out and I would have to be pleasant to her.

We didn鈥檛 go on holiday but I went to stay with relatives in Glasgow and saw my first barrage balloon. I also went to Portobello to stay with two of my father鈥檚 aunts. They had a sweet shop and I helped decorate the handmade chocolates. I was told to eat as many as I wanted but I could not stand the smell!!

Coupons were allocated for clothes and if your feet were over a certain length you got extra coupons. Feet were measured at school and I was lucky enough to have big feet.
My grandmother was a good cook and was able to make a little go a long way.

I went to Brownies and then the Girl guides.I remember a young soldier coming to teach us morse code and signalling. I also went to Sunday school and the Tip Top club run by the minister. We put on plays and gave concerts to help raise money for the war.

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