大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War Site by Three Counties Action, on behalf of Jean Elizabeth Scott, and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

My story is of a very happy afternoon. I was evacuated to South Wales at the beginning of the war for 2 and a half years. I became so homesick and ill, my Mother brought my self and my sister back home. How we danced and sang, 鈥淭here will be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover鈥�. When we saw Dover鈥檚 wonderful white cliffs from the train, I soon recovered and went back to school and enjoyed being back with my family, although my Dad was away in the Navy. I could put up with anything, just to be home.

Dover was bombarded with thousands of shells, killing my Grandmother friends and neighbours. We were very lucky, we spent many hours in Dover鈥檚 Caves, where often soup and hard biscuits were brought around to us. We would run to the caves when the siren sounded and stayed until the all clear. Many families slept there every night. Dover was calle4d 鈥淗ell Fire Corner鈥�. We were so proud to be Dovarians.

At last the German guns were captured and our lives changed for the better. We often saw the Doodlebugs go over, but they never came down on our beloved town.
One day we were told the King and Queen were visiting Dover. I longed to see them but children still had to attend school. A friend and my self decided to play truant the afternoon of the visit. We had been told the time and places they would be. So we went to the Town Hall, and raced ahead to see them at the district of Winchelsea and another place which I can鈥檛 remember. I shall never forget how beautiful Queen Elizabeth looked, dressed in a powder blue coat and hat, carrying a huge bunch of carnations.

The Queens hair was very dark and she had the most lovely complexion. King George looked extremely handsome. They were both standing up in a lovely open topped car, waving to the crowds. We enjoyed seeing them so much. They really lifted every ones spirits.

I never told my parents I hadn鈥檛 been to school. They only found out years later, strangely nothing was said to us at school the next day, we gave no excuses for being away. The teachers must have guessed why we were absent. I鈥檝e never forgotten that afternoon. It was one of the most exciting afternoons of my childhood.

I don鈥檛 live in Dover now but often go back. I always go to the sea front and look at the memorial which shows how many shells fell on Dover, and how many people were killed. My family and I were very lucky.

After the war King George sent this message to the children of Dover.

8th June 1946

To-day, as we celebrate Victory,
I send this personal message to you and all other boys and girls at school. For you have shared in the hardships and dangers of a total war and you have shared no less in the triumph of the Allied Nations.
I know you will always feel proud to belong to a country which was capable of such supreme effort; proud, too, of parents and elder brothers and sisters who by their courage, endurance and enterprise brought victory. May these qualities be yours as you grow up and join in the common effort to establish among the nations of the world unity and peace.

It was signed George R.I.

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