大象传媒

These are the memories of my father jotted down in the early 1990s. He was 10 years old in 1939.

Personal Memories of the Second World War (1939 鈥�45)

John Wise

1938/39

August 1938 and 1939, holiday at Guildford, Surrey 鈥� the four of us (Mum, Dad, Geoff + self). We stayed in 鈥渁partments鈥� in a modern house on the road up to the Hog鈥檚 Back. At night the Army rumbled up the road on manoeuvres and practice 鈥渂lack outs鈥� were enforced 鈥� no lights to be visible outside houses.

August 鈥�39, Dad called home 鈥� Grannie Wise ill 鈥� died that month.

26th August 鈥� 10th birthday. Birthday treat to spend day at Sussex County Ground to see the West Indies test team play Sussex 鈥� three days earlier the team went home! Recall walking round Shoreham Airport with the RAF yellow coloured training aircraft very much in evidence 鈥� probably 1938. Gas masks collected from distribution centres.

September 1939. 1st September, Uncle Will (Fleet) came to stay 鈥� his wife Grace had had to accompany her London school children being evacuated to Sevenoaks, Kent. Arrival of Uncle was a great event.

3rd September. Sunday morning, Dad + Uncle Will set out for a walk. 11:00 am, Mum, Geoff and I listened to Neville Chamberlain announce, 鈥淲e are at war with Nazi Germany鈥� 鈥� having given an ultimatum which had expired. 鈥淣o reply received.鈥� Within half an hour the first air-raid siren sounded with 鈥渁ll-clear鈥� some twenty minutes later 鈥� a false alarm. Dad and Uncle came home having called into a pub in Portslade Old Village and heard the news (and the siren!). Recollect Uncle taking Mum and us two for a walk to Shoreham Harbour, pointing out different things as we walked 鈥� a stimulating outing 鈥� a contrast to our usual family walks. Sadly, Uncle returned to London within a week or so. Required to carry gas masks everywhere in a cardboard box slung over shoulder.

1939 / 40 (up to May 40)

Autumn 1939, phoney war period. Black out strictly enforced. ARP (Air Raid Precautions) Wardens would shout, 鈥減ut that light out鈥� whenever they saw one. Firstly, black material was draped over windows to prevent lights shining out. Long cylindrical metal shades were fitted to room lights, directing light straight down 鈥� most depressing. Black curtaining soon replaced by screens made by Dad with 1鈥� battens stretched with tarred paper. Screens put up each night. All street lights turned off. Mum Dad decided against putting name down for Anderson shelter (would require hole dug in garden and going outdoors during raid alerts). They emptied small cupboard under stairs, laid carpet on floor instead. Initially rail alerts could last 5 hours or more as German aircraft crossed the coast. I travelled daily by bus to East Hove Junior School (Ellen Street) with gas mask slung over back, now in red oil cloth outer cover made by Mum - believe I took sandwiches for lunch.

1940/41 MAY 40, Dad joined LDV (Local Defence Volunteers) forerunner of the Home Guard 鈥� on first appeal for volunteers. From then on his life was divided between his job 鈥� managing clerk of Burnand + Burnand 鈥� Solicitors, 39 Church Road, Hove (5 陆 days a week), Secretary of Portslade and District Allotments and Gardens Association 鈥� with emphasis on 鈥淒ig for Victory鈥� campaign, cultivating 3 allotments (17 陆 rod 鈥� with myself looking after 2 陆 nod of it at the bottom of Vale Road), and as a member of the Home Guard 鈥� most of the time as QMS (Quarter-master Sergeant) responsible for the battalion stores. I joined the 鈥淪potters Club鈥� 鈥� meetings held on Saturdays at the Catholic Church hall at the bottom of Vale Road, as soon as I was old enough 鈥� age of 11 years or so. We were instructed in aircraft recognition, discussed members鈥� lists of aircraft 鈥渟potted鈥� during the previous week, and had recognition competitions. I bought weekly the Aircraft Spotter newspaper and read it avidly. I remember walking with the family somewhere on the South Downs close to Portslade at the time of the Dunkirk evacuation, looking out over a blue English Channel in bright sunshine. We had our local 鈥淪pitfire Week鈥� to raise 拢5000 to pay for one Spitfire fighter. Local procession finishing up in Portslade recreation ground with sports and games.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.