- Contributed by听
- A7431347
- People in story:听
- Roger, Ethel and Kathleen Alldis
- Location of story:听
- Wallington, Surrey
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A6171923
- Contributed on:听
- 17 October 2005
I was only sixteen and I'd just left school. I was living in 50 Mellows Road, Wallington, Surrey.
It was September 3rd 1939 and we knew that Mr Chamberlain was going to speak to the country at 11am. So my mother Ethel, my sister Kathleen and I all sat round the wireless in the living room.
It was 大象传媒 Home Service and Mr Cumberland came on and said we were at war with Germany. It was such a peaceful Sunday morning and a few minutes later the sirens sounded, so we knew we were really at war. The Germans were on their way; they hadn't wasted any time. And we all had our little cardboard boxes which we carried around with our gasmasks in, so we put those on.
We laugh at it now, that was the only time I put my mask on the whole of the war! We were a little bit aprehensive as you can imagine; it was going into the unknown. A few moments later the 'All Clear' sounded; gas masks off and we were all happy again!
This story was submitted to the People's War website by Helena Noifeld of 大象传媒 Radio Kent and has been added to the website on behalf of Roger Alldis with his permission. He fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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