大象传媒

When war broke out in September 1939 I was almost 7 years old. My mother had to choose some sort of war work. As my father was much older than my mother and also incapacitated she ended up in the Food Office issuing ration books and later emergency card for those who had lost their ration books in the bombing. She was also responsible for selling National Dried Milk for babies and concentrated orange juice and cod-liver oil against coupons for expectant Mums.

I was sent off after the October half term with my school to a large house at Stoney Cross in the New Forrest. I can remember some lovely Autumn days ad the smell of the damp fallen leaves as we walked through them in crocodile to the local sweet shop to spend our weekly pocket money. This large house had a large shed type building at the bottom of the garden where my class had their lessons. I can remember learning my 5 times table there. Unfortunately, during that term the Head Mistress dies and as it was a private school we all had to come home I can remember being very relieved.

In January 1940 I was sent to Hatfield in Hertfordshire to live with my Aunt and Uncle and 4 cousins. I have often wondered why, considering that the de Havilland鈥檚 Aircraft Factory was just up the road! My cousins were two boys older than me and two girl, and I came in the middle of them. As I was an only child this wastge best thing that could have happened at my age. It taught me many things including having to share things with others and taking my turn in laying the table and doing the washing up. We had almost as many air rads as London but the bombing was much less surprisingly. My Uncle left us in our beds when a raid was on at night but one night I can remember being carried out of my bed downstairs and us children all sat under the dining table until the All Clear went even if it was home time. I moved from the Junior School up to the Senior School which was further away but still within walking distance. During the night a V2 destroyed the school. As it came down it got caught in a large tree in the playground and exploded there demolishing not only the school but all the houses opposite. As these bombs fell indiscriminately my parents decided that was little point in my staying in Hatfield with no school to go to so I might as well come home and be with them. If a V2 was going to hot our house we might as well be together.

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