´óÏó´«Ã½

Annette Rosalie Fowler nee Gross — Born 11 July 1923
Evacuation — June 2nd 1940

When war broke out in September 1939 I was just 16 years old and in the 5th form in Clacton County High School, one of the first co-ed County High Schools in the Country.

For the first few months of the war we were sharing our school with the Latimer School, evacuated to Clacton from London. Life was much as it had always been, except for being fitted with gas masks!

My father had received a bad head wound in the Great War, completely paralysed at first — but most movement came back, except he was slow of thought and was unable to have a proper job, although he tried very hard to get one. We lived on his 16/- pension — mainly eating vegetables from the garden and small amounts of meat, cheese and fish.

The following year in early Spring, people were beginning to talk of the Germans invading and thought it might be on the East Coast. Suddenly we heard that school children were going to be evacuated, mainly London children first of course — Our parents were notified and in no time at all it seemed, there we all were gathering in a huge crowd on the drive way of our school, carrying cases, wearing our Panama hats and blazers with parents standing anxiously around.

Names were called out, classes formed into crocodiles and off we all marched to the station (about half mile down the road). Most of our teachers were coming with us — a few children and staff stayed behind.

The train was in the station 10 — 15 carriages long. Parents and nurses and even someone selling ice cream! comfort food I suppose. At last the dreaded moment — everyone on board after horrible farewells — all rather numb with shock — after all we did not know whether we would ever see our parents again. Doors slammed, arms waving, off into the unknown we went as the engine gathered speed.

We had a very long journey ahead of us, as to avoid ‘troop’ trains we had to go a roundabout route. Once we were all settled in our carriages, we 5th and 6th formers were allowed to walk up and down the corridor-visiting friends — playing cards etc. Teachers keeping an eye on everything. In those days, we were all well behaved and did as we were told! It was strange not knowing where we were going.

The hours went past — sometimes the train stopping to let other trains go through. I can’t remember if we went into London and out again, but we went through Slough, Stratford-upon-Avon, Gloucester, Worcester and then up to Kidderminster, our destination point.

We were all very tired and hungry — very quickly we were out of the train, and all walking down the station approach — railing on both sides with (it seemed) all the towns folk staring through at us — what kind of creatures were we!! On, into a large cinema to sit in our classes in the dim interior — by this time I believe it was 8-9pm (having started from Clacton about 11am). It was beginning to get dark.

We were then sorted into smaller groups and were directed to buses waiting for us outside — and off we went, into the surrounding villages. My friends and I arrived at the village of Blakedown, just south of the Clent Hills — south of Birmingham. The bus stopped and we all walked with our luggage into the village hall to be greeted by many kind ladies and billeting officers, giving us drinks and sandwiches. Again we sat down and then partly chosen and partly directed to our new homes (billets).

My friend Mary and I were going to be together and we must have been driven by car (can’t quite remember) up the hill about a mile and a half. Through big gates up to the front door of this big house, ‘The Croft’, Broome. The door was flung open and out we got to be greeted by a very kindly elderly lady, Mrs Lees and her companion Miss Wheeler.

The hall was large and square — red tiled and a curved stair case. Several doors leading off. We were offered food and drinks. By this time I think it must have been 10.30pm at least. All of us very tired. Off went the billeting officer and we were shown up to bed — a big beautiful room with twin beds and I think — in we tumbled! I remember expecting to cry — but I didn’t, too tired.

The next morning we realised how very fortunate we were to be in such lovely surroundings — inside and out. Our bedroom overlooked the terrace and rose gardens and the tennis lawn. This was really Douglas’s room, he was ‘up’ at Cambridge. He had been moved into a smaller room — wasn’t that kind! We went downstairs to the dining room to a full breakfast which was laid on a small table by Mary the maid — a very nice person. The family kept some chickens for eggs). Mrs Lees and Miss Wheeler ate their breakfast in the Loggia (Conservatory). They were both so kind to us.

We had both brought our bikes with us, they arrived somehow! As we were going to cycle into Kidderminster to school each day, 12 miles round trip — not much traffic on the roads — only troops being moved — who whistled at us! Wow!

The weather was really lovely and the countryside beautiful but hilly. When we arrived in Kidderminster, we (5th & 6th Formers) were taken to the Old Art and Science Museum — rather dark and dingy — busts of strange people standing around. Very old fashioned class rooms and double desks. We were there for a few days and then were moved again, over into a part of a church beside a rather smelly canal — but we 6th formers were in the Church vestry — with a carpet and if you opened one door you were in the pulpit.

As we settled in at ‘home’ we got to know Mrs Lees (daughter of the Palethorpe family — makers of pork pies, sausages etc — very delicious they were too! Mrs Lees brother-in-law was Archibald McIndoe the famous plastic surgeon who carried out wonderful surgery on the faces of the very badly burnt Battle of Britain airmen.) Mrs Lees and Miss Wheeler were both very sweet and friendly.

Although we ate on our own in the evening, in the dining room (a three course meal) we were always invited into the drawing room, after we had done our home work, to sit with them for the rest of the evening. Big open basket fireplace — logs burning. It was a beautiful room, big bay windows, leaded lights with window seat (under our bedroom) Grand piano which I was allowed to play, having only had 5 lessons in my life!

Cosy couch for us to sit on, Mrs Lees and Miss Wheeler in the other armchairs. We always listened to the 9pm news and as other countries joined in the war to fight Germany — all their National Anthems were played before the news was read and we all stood at attention until the anthems were over — a mark of respect for them.

I believe we only had three or four weeks as evacuees before it was time to sit for our School Certificate (we didn’t know where that was going to be!) In the end they found us a big old hall to sit in — somewhere!! I can only remember our geography exam, because a mouse ran across the floor and the caretaker tried to catch it — light relief. We did eventually have two class rooms of our own in a Senior School on the outskirts of Kidderminster — but sadly to add insult to injury(!) a German bomber returning from a raid on Birmingham — had one bomb to spare and actually dropped it right on our classrooms. Incredible!

Life went on, Mary and I and others went to the little church in Broome and were greeted by the Vicar and his wife — very friendly. We played tennis, watched cricket matches, went to garden parties did country dancing and made friends with the farmers family down the road. We were invited to go down to the Palethorpe’s farm to ride their polo ponies (Dawn Palethorpe — Olympic champion). I was hoisted up on such a beautiful pony — they took it for granted I could ride! Anyway off I went round the field, got the bumps quickly but did not fall off.

I heard from my family and my sister at Teacher Training College in Bishops Stortford. My mother and father moved back to Hornchurch (where I was born, which had a Battle of Britain airfield nearby) to be near my Grandparents,Aunts and Cousins.

I did go home to Hornchurch for holidays if things were quiet — so that summer I did see the beginning of the Battle of Britain planes fighting high up in the sky.

A lot of our 6th form boys decided to go into the airforce when they left school and no doubt some of them were killed in the big battle for the air over England.

I was so very very blessed, to be so well watched over by my Heavenly Father to whom I said a prayer every night and read my bible — praying for the protection of all my family. (My sister’s college house at Bishops Stortford was bombed, she and her friends were all buried alive but were dug out and safe). Praise the Lord. Sadly some of her friends were killed.

I stayed on for a further year at Broome as I was going to Teacher Training College at Bishops Stortford too. I shall never forget my very kind foster Mother and I just hope that I thanked her enough at the time. I know my Mother knitted her a beautiful lacy bed jacket as a thank you present.

When at last July 1941 came, it was time for all us 6th formers to say goodbye to all our best friends — more like brothers and sisters by now — and go our various ways — most would be conscripted into the forces — lots into the airforce — desperately needing replacements for heavy losses. Some like myself, into Teacher Training College — male teachers having left to go into the forces. Women teachers were desperately needed.

I well remember our last assembly, on that final morning, as we stood with our teacher who had done such an excellent job as ‘stand in’ for our mothers and fathers. During the farewell speeches and the final hymn everybody was crying so much we needed sheets, not hankies.

But that was the end of our school days and we all had to walk off into our unknown futures.

© Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.