大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Alex Pope from the People's War team on behalf of her aunt Madeleine Sturgen. Mrs Sturgen fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

September 3rd 1939.

We congregated in Aunt Net鈥檚 sitting room. Aunt Net, Pop, Kathleen, Bernard, my parents, brothers鈥� sisters and me. I was eight years old. We listened to Mr Chamberlain鈥檚 speech. I had to be very quiet, he said 鈥渁nd now I have to tell you, we are at war with Germany. God save the King鈥�. The National Anthem was played and we all stood to attention.

We were issued with gas masks. A man came to our house and fitted and adjusted the straps. My gas mask steamed up and I couldn鈥檛 see. My sister brought some ear plugs; she said 鈥渢he noise of the bombs dropping would break out ear drums. I also had a disc with my name and address on it to hang around my neck. Little did I know that it was an identity disk in case I was killed. These became fashion items. Gas masks were carried in leather or rexine cases. Identify bracelets were made of gold or silver and you might get them as Christmas presents.

October 3rd 1940.
Alfred Street School was bombed at about 10.30an. Suddenly the ceiling just cracked and dropped down upon us. We ran out of the building, into the air raid shelter and sat on benches which lined the shelter. Mrs Levy (teacher) was walking up and down singing 鈥淩oll out the barrel鈥�. Children were crying and screaming. My friend Norma clung to me and said 鈥渨hat are we going to do?鈥� I could only say 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know鈥�. My Auntie came into the shelter looking for her son, as she walked by me I was so numb with shock I couldn鈥檛 put out my hand to reach her or call her name. Another Aunt came and fetched me and took me home. We didn鈥檛 get any 鈥渃ounselling鈥� it was unheard of then.

Rushden was raided again on night, my mother, brother and I sat under the kitchen table, listening to the bombs whistling and whining followed by a thunderous crash. My teeth rattled uncontrollably I was terrified. Later we were issued with a Morrison Shelter an Iron table/cage used as a table to sit or lie inside the cage during an air raid. We had a mattress in ours.

Sweets were rationed to 12oz per month. I had a 鈥渟weet tooth鈥� - they were a rare treat.

We used to have 鈥渉olidays at home鈥� during August at the Hall Park with games, exhibitions, parades and dancing. The radio and cinema played an important part in our lives, we children would boo and hiss at Hitler when he came on the screen.

We used to take money to school for National Savings. So many things were rationed, food, clothes. We all wore 鈥渉and me downs鈥� from relatives or friends. To me all this was normal life, we didn鈥檛 know anything different.

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