大象传媒

An Evacuee from Guernsey reluctant to return

Eileen May de Mouilpied interviewed at the Guille-Alles Library by Becky Kendall of 大象传媒 Radio Guernsey, 5/2/2005. Transcribed and edited by John David, November 2005

Well being so small I didn鈥檛 know really what was going to happen. Mum and dad was very undecided about having to leave the Island because everything was so quickly done, and two or three minutes my mum said I want to go and my dad said I don鈥檛 want to go, and it was panicking station, so mum had to go an pay a weekly bill 鈥� groceries 鈥� up the road and when she went to this shop they all said if we go the Germans will have everything, we鈥檙e staying in our own house, so my mother goes back to home and says to my dad I鈥檓 not going so he said well, so that was it, panic stations, and my eldest brother, he was to report with the school, and my mother did not want to leave me go, so she kept me back, and my brother went with the school
I鈥︹�︹��. So he was ten?
Yes
I鈥︹�︹��. Your brother went to England, and you were four?
I was five
I鈥︹�︹��. And you were separated?
Yes, My mother kept me and my other brother. But the intention was, they would follow on the next boat, but it was too late, the harbour was being raided. They couldn鈥檛 get away.
I鈥︹�︹��. So your brother Stan left the island. Did you know where he was going to be going?
No, not really, because the school left all together, and that was the last that my mother saw of my brother. The intention was, if they could get away perhaps they would have decided to get away, but they couldn鈥檛, because
of the harbours being raided. So as far as we were concerned mum didn鈥檛 see Stan any more until after the war.
I鈥︹�︹��. And where about were you living then?
At la Moie, at l鈥橝ncresse.
I鈥︹�︹��. he was part of the Vale School? Was it the north of England he ended up?
Yes, Cheshire.
I鈥︹�︹��. How long was it from when your brother was evacuated with the Vale School, how long was it before you heard from him?
Well, there were Red Cross messages, and I don鈥檛 really know much about that, I鈥檓 afraid, but my elder sister, she鈥檚 eighty-seven, she was a nurse at the children鈥檚 home, and just in 1939 her friend and her decided they wanted to go to England, they went to England, I think they were a month there, and the war broke out and they couldn鈥檛 get back. And I don鈥檛 know how my sister found out that my brother he was evacuated to Nantwich, they were together during the war, my Sister managed to find out more, perhaps through the Red Cross, and my brother was with my sister living nearby, you know, so they were together. So after the war my brother Stan, he was ten, he was fifteen when it finished, he was at a wonderful home, a big farm, and he called them auntie and uncle, and they wanted more or less to look after Stan and adopt him, because my brother was so happy in England those five years that he did not want to come back and live in Guernsey.
I鈥︹�︹��. That must have been awful for your parents, knowing that he could come back and didn鈥檛 want to.
The day we were coming back, we were by the weighbridge clock, we couldn鈥檛 go any further until the school children came, and I didn鈥檛 know who I was looking for, because I didn鈥檛 know my brother, I remember vaguely, and I had this photograph, and he comes along and mum says did I shout at Stan he just wasn鈥檛 interested to stay, you know.
I鈥︹�︹��. Did you even recognize him?
I didn鈥檛, and when he got home I began to sort of, sitting on his knee, and he was making a fuss, but I just can鈥檛 remember about him. It was three years he was away, he went back, so my mum and dad, and myself, went back, because we had my sister to go and visit, so we went, and we stayed there six months, I went to school in England, It was three months, I think it was three or six months we stayed, and when you saw the people it was all auntie and uncle, he was putting his arms around, and that really hurt my mother, and after he came for a holiday, my eldest brother who鈥檚 going to be ninety, decided he wanted to go for a holiday and see my sister in England , so he said to my brother well I鈥檒l come along with you, So my brother Stan said look you can have my ticket, I think I鈥檒l stay in Guernsey, I鈥檒l make a go at it, so that鈥檚 how he came back to Guernsey, but he lived three years, he went back and lived three years, he was eighteen when he came back, and the people that he was living with, Mrs Whittaker, they only died about a month ago [ ]
I鈥︹�︹��. So you stayed in touch?
Oh yes, and my brother every couple of months goes to see my sister in Cheshire, and he visits Mrs Whittaker. He had a very good home, on the farm, that was why mum, when he decided that he was going to stay, said 鈥淚鈥檒l buy you a cow, and a pig鈥� which they did, and he looked after these animals, and he found some friends, and he went to work in greenhouses.

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