- Contributed by听
- annemac
- People in story:听
- Anne Macnaughton
- Location of story:听
- Yorkshire
- Article ID:听
- A1984926
- Contributed on:听
- 07 November 2003
I was six years old at the start of the war. I was staying at my grandfather's rectory in Ripley, Yorkshire. On the day that war was declared we were all in church for Matins. Part way through the service we all trooped out of church. This seemed very strange to me. When we arrived back at the rectory we went into my grandfather's study and listened to the announcement that war had been declared. This meant nothing to me. We then all went back into church as did the rest of the congrgation and continued with the service.
The winter of '39-40 was very cold and I learnt to skate on the frozen lake at Ripley Castle. There was an occasion when we were to have cold chicken for lunch. When the chicken came to the table for my grandfather to carve, it had been stored in the larder, it was completely frozen.
I had come home from India to go to school in England but due to the war it was decided that I and my elder brother and sister would all go out to India. We sailed from Tilbury on the TSS Stratheden. We were the last ship to go out to India without a convoy and the first to go to India round the Cape. In Capetown we went for a tour round the city. I vividly remember the heavy condensation on the bus windows. We were also sent the most wonderful basket of carnations by one of my father's business associates. On the ship I made firm friends with the Captain and my great excitement on the voyage was to have tea in the captain's cabin.
On arrival in Bombay we went and had lunch with another friend of my father's. I will never for get the wonderful pudding which had bananas, ice-cream and meringue. I often thought back to it later in the war when food supplies in India became problematic. That evening the Captain came to see us off on the train to Madras. I never saw him again till after the war, by that time he had been shipwrecked and the picture that had been my special present to him had gone down with the ship.
Arriving in Bombay
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo