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Childhood memories

I was an orphan and at an early age I was put in a nursery run by nuns in Sevenoaks near Orpington. In 1943 when I was seven years old I went to the Roman Catholic Boys Boarding School across the road from the convent. The school was completely self-sufficient with its own farm. Opposite the school was Orpington Hospital, which during the war was used as a convalescent home for Canadian and Polish airmen. We would recognise them by their foreign uniforms.

The school was very near Biggin Hill aerodrome and we used to see and hear the planes going over. There were barrage balloons all around and at night we could see the searchlights from the base scanning the skies for enemy aircraft. I remember too, hearing the ‘doodlebugs’ going over. One landed in nearby Lewisham where Woolworths took a direct hit.

The teachers drilled us well in evacuation procedures and as soon as the sirens were heard the teachers took us down to purpose —built brick shelters in the school grounds. Each shelter held 20-30 pupils, I didn’t enjoy my time down there and looked forward to coming out as the shelters had a distinct smell of damp. We sat on benches facing each other waiting for the ‘All clear’ to sound so we could leave.

With all the bombing raids the school was evacuated from Kent to the safety of Hesketh Bank near Southport. Everyone went, teachers, boys and other staff. We were all given gas-masks in a little cardboard box to carry over our shoulders and the whole school went on their own train all the way to Lancashire.

When we got to Lancashire a large building had been requisitioned to take the school, but it wasn‘t quite big enough and some boys were farmed out to local families. The Lancashire people were very friendly, once we had settled in, it was a great relief to be there and school-life returned to normal.

When the war ended King George VI came to Lancashire and there were great celebrations. Every schoolchild was given a scroll to commemorate the end of the war. With the war over, the school was transported back to Kent, we moved back into our old accommodation and the air-raid shelters were demolished. When we returned the convalescent home was still running and there was now a camp for prisoners of war nearby. The POW’s used to work on the school farm and in the dairy. They wore special POW armbands and spoke in broken English.

I remained at the school until I left to go to work.

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