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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Julie Turner of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Norma Walker, and has been added to the site with the author’s permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was born in November 1937, my sister was born in February 1939. My Dad was called up when the War started, so we never saw him again until the war ended. Our Mum and we went down the village to live with our Granny and Grandad, and a couple of Aunties.

The War did not affect us much as we were living in a small village in the countryside, although I remember that a stray aeroplane shot up the town near us one night. We heard the grown ups talking about the ration books and coal shortages and blackout curtains; I suppose we took everything as every day living.

We used to go to the butcher's in the village for our Granny when she wanted udder and tripe; we were too young to know what it was, so I suppose we ate it.

We used to do errands for other people and they would give us three pennies, which of course we took to the shop and bought locust beans, and liquorice roots. They were very good and lasted a long time.

When the War ended our dad came home. He wanted us to all live in our own home, so when he came down to fetch us, he could not find us because we were hiding in our Granny’s coal house. Anyway, we were found and taken up the village to our house.

I suppose we had felt safe with Gran and Grandad, we seemed to have been with them for such a long time.

Our Dad had his medals; he looked at them all and then put them out of sight. He said that he had done his bit for the King and his country. He was in the Eighth Army and served under Montgomery overseas. Our Dad was a Dorset Rat.

Pr-BR

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