大象传媒

My first recollection of the second World War is of me being at school when children were being evacuated to the countryside. We had to make up bags for the children of fruit, biscuits and chocolates. This was done during the school day at my school 'The Girls Central School' in Leamington Spa. Children were moved from Coventry to the countryside, the seaside, Canada or Australia.

I remember the radio announcement by Neville Chamberlain that war had been declared. I was listening at home with my mother and four brothers. My eldest brother joined the Fleet Air Arm. My second brother joined the Air force as a navigator. My third youngest brother joined the army and my youngest brother was sent to Africa to train the black young men in Lagos.

There was a very strong awareness of events at the time. I was aware of air raid shelters being built and of the barage balloons used to deter planes. I remember the bombing of Coventry. My first recollection is of German planes trying to bomb a factory called 'Lockheed Brakes' which made aircraft parts. One morning I heard the loud roar of a plane. I looked out of my bedroom window and saw a plane with a swastika on it. Then I heard the rat-a-tat-tat of machine guns firing and I saw the holes in the brickwork of our house. Our mother shouted at us to get under the stairs. On another occasion when I was in Coventry shopping, I met one of my brothers. The air raid siren sounded and I had to dash for the one and only air raid shelter in town. I remember when 200 people died in an air raid shelter when I was 15 or 16. It was at night and there was a terrific assault on Coventry. Lots of people were killed or made homeless. I remember the sky was red with fire even though we were 9 miles away in Leamington Spa. A week later the full extent of the devastation was revealed when we went to the cinema and were shown a film of the ruined city.

I remember soldiers coming back from the war and looking bedraggled. They would just sit on benches in front of the Pump Room gardens just waiting to be billeted. I remember VE day and the celebrations in towns and cities. We had a military band playing in Jepherson Gardens. Everyone was so joyous and happy and there were lots of street parties and bunting everywhere.

My brother George was in charge of ration books. There were no bananas or oranges; only fruit which was in season. There was a lot of sharing. Large families who did not use up all their rations would often give them away; particularly tea. There was very little butter and meat per head but I don't remember ever being hungry. Rations were sufficient.

My eldest brother was training in the Fleet Air Arm. I remember the day an old aircraft was being used to train them. The instructor ws out of the plane speaking to the men. My brother was standing next to the propeller when it started up on its own accord. It practically severed my brother's right arm. He was in a naval hospital in Portsmouth for nearly 4 months. At first they wanted to amputate his arm but an Austrian professor decided to save his arm. My second brother went down to see him but not the rest of the family as there were too many bombings in Portsmouth.

Just after the war I remember going to a ball in Leamington Spa. I was 18 and wanted a long glamorous dress but clothing was still on ration coupons. One of my friends in the office came to my rescue. She had kept her wedding dress and she said I could borrow it. So I went to the ball in a beautiful long white lace dress. There were American soldiers at the ball. By this time they had integrated well and I remember them being very happy.

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