大象传媒

I was 5 3/4 years old the day war was declared. I was coming down the stairs at 11.10 (5 minutes after the speech by N Chamberlain). We lived in a large Victorian house in Gateshead. My doll's pram was in the vestibule at the bottom of the stairs - with wonderful light coming in through coloured glass panels and lighting it in different colours. I saw that my little sister has put the family cat in MY doll's pram. Almost at the same moment - I had just heard a strange noise (which I now know must have been the air raid warning....)
I suddenly saw my mother and father walking along the hall towards me wearing their gas masks!
I cannot describe the feeling I had - frightened and alarmed, and also annoyed with my little sister. I got hold of the cat by its' tail and swung it round and round and then dropped it. I picked the baby-doll up and hit my sister with it so hard...that the head came off. I can see the poor doll now. This is my vivid memory of the first morning of the war.
I remember the next day, a neighbour came in crying - her only son who had been in the sea-cadets and the Royal Navy Reserve - had got his calling-up papers. Luckily he came back safely after the war.

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