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EVACUATION

I had a real fear of going to Stoke — tales of smoke pollution etc. My mother and I (aged 5) went to Wellingborough (overnight on floor of a hall.) Then to an old couple in Higham Ferrers. Walked to Rushden for school each day. Returned after 10 weeks — told it was because mother missed father but later discovered that 3 Colchester children had been killed by a bomb at another school at Rushden so I imagine this was a factor. My father was VFS then NFS. There was a base at bottom of Morant Road (small garage). He was then sent away to Tilbury while we had to put up a variety of people — two soldiers (one died at Dunkirk), ATS and even other firemen (from Long Eaton, Nottingham) We had a Morrison shelter in front room where we occasionally slept.

My father, when based in Colchester, had to fire watch from top of Town Hall. I went up once — a scary climb even when no bombs.

When on weekend leave my father and a billeted fireman set light to a flare they had found. Huge blaze — to put out with a bucket but it was so hot that the bucket was burnt through.

Remember the paper boy coming around one afternoon, shouting Italy had surrendered. One of my earliest war memories was the sinking of Prince of Wales and another ship off Singapore. Later saw doodlebugs going over both day and night. Could see the St. Botolph's fire from our garden.

Early in war, when at Wilson Marriage infants, there was a raid nearby. We had practised taking cover (under desks) in class or if in playground, but on this occasion we were in the hall so we just lay down on the floor.

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