大象传媒

As I WRITE THIS, I AM THINKING THAT WHEN THE SECOND WORLD WAR STARTED IN 1939 I WAS THE SAME AGE AS MY GRANDAUGHTER WHO HAS URGED ME TO PUT PEN TO PAPER TO RECORD A FEW OF MY MEMORIES OF THE SIX WAR YEARS 1939-1945. LIKE HER IN 2003, I HAD ONE YEAR MORE TO COMPLETE SCHOOL LIFE IN MY PRIMARY SCHOOL AND THEN IN1940 I MOVED TO THE NEARBY GIRLS GRAMMAR SCHOOL.I CAN REMEMBER IN 1939 AND 1940 FEELING THE UTMOST CONFIDENCE IN MY PARENTS WHO SAID THAT IF THE GERMANS CAME , WHICH WAS A REAL THREAT , THEY WOULD NOT ALLOW US TO BE PARTED FROM THEM. MY MOTHER SAID THAT THE KING AND QUEEN HAD DECIDED NOT TO SEND THE TWO PRINCESSES TO SAFETY ABROAD WE WOULD BE SAFE TO!I HAD READ A GOVERMENT PAMPHLET WHICH DESCRIBED THE SUFFERINGS OF THE PEOPLE ALREADY RUN-OVER BY THE GERMANS AND I WAS SECRETLY VERY FRIGHTENED BUT WE ALL HAD A GREAT SENSE OF THE INVINCIBILITY OF THE BRITISH PEOPLE
I WAS 10 WHEN WAR WAS DECLARED ON THAT FATEFUL SUNDAY MORNING IN 1939 AND WAS 16 WHEN PEACE CAME IN AUGUST 1945 , WITH THE SURRENDER OF JAPAN.DURING THOSE YEARS IN BETWEEN MY BROTHER JOINED THE ARMY,I JOINED THE RED CROSS CADETS AND OUR HOUSE FILLED UP WITH EVACUEES,LAND ARMY GIRLS AND 'MEN ON SECRET WAR WORK',IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER AND CERTAINLY NOT AT THE SAME TIME!OUR HOUSE STOOD OPPOSITE THE BIG CHURCH USED BY THE ARMY FOR THE COMPULSORY CHURCH PARADES OF SOLDIERS BILLETED IN THE BIG EMPTY HOUSES IN THE TOWN AND AFTER CHURCH ON SUNDAY MORNING,MY PARENTS INVITED SOLDIERS TO COME IN TO USE THE BATHROOM WITH ITS' LUXURY OF HOT WATER,FOLLOWED BY A ROAST DINNER.

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