大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by CSV/大象传媒 Radio Nottingham on behalf of Sheila Rowlands with her permission. The Author fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

I was born in July 1939, my Dad was in the Army and I remember playing outside when the air raid sirens went off. My Mum took my brother and I under the stairs and we sat on the pantry stone. Mum holding us tight until the all clear came.

There was an air raid shelter at the bottom of the garden but we never went in 鈥� they were built underground. I can remember that we had black blinds at all the windows to keep all the light inside so no planes flying overhead could see light and drop bombs. A Night Watchman came round checking that there was no light shining outside.

My brothers and I had to take a gas mask to school and mine was a Mickey Mouse one and my brothers was Donald Duck. They were kept in a little square box with a shoulder strap.

The day the War ended was quite exciting, I remember Mam waking my brother and me up and we had to get dressed to go to the top field where there was a big bonfire and everybody was laughing and dancing around.

I remember that we had a street party on Walesby Lane and everyone was happy.

One day at school the teacher gave everyone in our class an envelope with a card inside 鈥� on it was a message from King George. My Mum saved it and when I was older she gave it to me.

I have it to this day and it is still in perfect condition. It has a coat of arms at the top and the message reads;

鈥�8th June 1946. Today, as we celebrate victory I send this personal message to you and all other boys and girls at school. For you have shared in the hardships and dangers of a total war and you have shared no less in the triumph of the Allied Nations.

I know you will always feel proud to belong to a country, which was capable of such supreme effort, proud too, of parents and elder brothers and sisters who by their courage, endurance and enterprise brought victory. May these qualities be yours as you grow up and join in the common effort to establish among the nations of the world unity and peace鈥�

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