大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Molly Sloat, a volunteer from CSV Media on behalf of Brian Rutter and has been added to the site with his permission. Brian Rutter fully understand the site;s terms and conditions.

Born in 1937, as a child went to the shelters underground when the bombds started going off. He had to be there all night long until they said it was all clear. Finally told his mom that it was all clear and it was okay to come up and go home. THere was a chance that the homes coudl have been bombed and there would have been no where to go home to.
Whren the air raids started they had to turn off the lights and close the curtains (blackouts. Food was so hard to get because of the war, really had it hard.
Five sisters and one brother, he had been wounded in the war in Palestine. Was in school when the war when going on.
During the raids he woudl play with his brother and sister to the park but when the bombs started had to quick run to the nearest air raid shelter when they started shouting had to quick run "air raid!" to get going to the nearest shelter. Get under the table in the shelters every night on adn off for 6 years.
Kind of knew what was going on but the teachers would tell htem what was going on. During the breaks they would play war games with one another as children. Deep down were scared because they knew what was going on. Somtimes the plane would go over and past and his dad would say "its one of ours" meaning one of the British planes.
Brother fought in Palestine and pushed another guy out of the way and was shot in the arm, but not killed.
They had ration books and ration cards and she woudl use them all at once adn so when she wcoudl come back but her coupons woudl be all gone so then she had to wait another week to come back in because she gathered so much food at one time. Even had a patch on his pants because they could not afford new pants.
Were able to at least have one roast dinner every week. Sometimes they would have to go to pawn shop with their best shoes and sell them for 5-10 shillings on Monday morning in order to get money to buy food for the week.Every week, a bit hard up on the week, was not able to save it up for the week.
Somtimes they would have to go in and renew the ticket in order to use it.
In 1941 were bombed out of their house. Were not in the house at the time,so had to go to furnished rooms in another hall until they could find you another house. Kept blanket, mattress, bedding. Took toys along with him, sister brought her doll along.
The music was so beautiful. When the war was over (Dday) there was a big street party with bands. Likes Glenn Miller and those kind of big bands.
Christmas parties were nothign like it is today. Not so exciting today as it was in the war. Used to sit down to Christmas dinner, once the alarm went off and they had to go down into the shelter. His mom left the turkey in the oven and put it on low and ran down into the shelter, didn't get burned. Always had to be ready for it they just happened at any time. Everybody was happy and there was a sense of family and friendship, nobody took anythign from you, they were all in it together.
One time he had to be seperated from his parents. When he came back it got worse. Went away for about 3 weeks from London down to Kent but when he got back it got worse. All of his brothers and sisters had to be separated but stayed with another family. Can't stay away forever had to come back and just continue on with your lives, in North London where he still lives today. Never been abroad.
Every year end of August went on Holiday to South End, still were able to go on vacations during this time.
Favorite song of the war Vera Lynn is "We Will Meet Again". Thinks that the music and people are what kept it going on, all the people singing and dancing and enjoying themselves during this time.
Heard her on the telly the other night and it just didn't seem the same, was not the same feeling as it was when he young.
Wrote a poem (24/09/01)
I was born in 1937, two years before the war
But eveni n the blackouts you coudl walk through any door.
There as still much happiness all around
Even while London was being
bombed to the ground.
Its 64 years on, the war has gone
But the fear we've known has grown,
For terrorists are at the worst
we've known. When will it end?
When can we mend
The happiness in our home?

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