大象传媒

Nine Billets in three towns- my evacuation story

I was born in July 1932 and the summer of 1939 found saw me on holiday with my parents in Whitstable, staying with an elderly sister of my father鈥檚 and her invalid husband. As war threats loomed, I, just 7, was left there and Dad and Mum went back to home in Hammersmith. (Mother was a first-aider and went to work for a friendly society. Dad, having served in the 1914-18 war, fire-watched at work, his church and the street). I stayed in Whitstable through the winter of 39-40 (walking on the frozen sea) and moved to two other families!! Then the coastal children were evacuated. I was sent to Glamorganshire, not with the children from the Whitstable but linked to East London children even though I came from West London. I stayed there a year or so, again moving from one home to another. I learnt a little Welsh, long since forgotten. I went back home for holidays, (when the raids decreased), travelling by main-line train in the care of the guard. After a year plus, my mother organised a nearer billet in Apsley Guise. Again I stayed with three different families (making a total of nine in four years!). There, the evacuee children went to the 鈥渙ld鈥� school while the locals attended the 鈥渘ew鈥� school. And again, the children at the school came from East London. When I first arrived, there were three staff, gradually reducing to just the Headmistress, as the number of children reached school-leaving age or went home. I learnt through individual tuition and Teach Yourself books. In fact I had a good basic education and started algebra, which seemed like playing games then. I also was coached for the LCC and Bedford County scholarships, trying old papers and, not surprisingly, passed both. My parents chose to have me home again and I started at my grammar school in September 1943. Of course, all thought the war was turning in Britain鈥檚/Allies鈥� favour. However, V1s and V2s started later.

The above paragraph covered my years away. I was an only child and brought up 鈥渘ot to make a fuss鈥�, in a strongly non-conformist family. I knew that my parents loved me and they kept in touch 鈥� and I saw them at holiday time.
Nine Billets in three towns- my evacuation story

I was born in July 1932 and the summer of 1939 found saw me on holiday with my parents in Whitstable, staying with an elderly sister of my father鈥檚 and her invalid husband. As war threats loomed, I, just 7, was left there and Dad and Mum went back to home in Hammersmith. (Mother was a first-aider and went to work for a friendly society. Dad, having served in the 1914-18 war, fire-watched at work, his church and the street). I stayed in Whitstable through the winter of 39-40 (walking on the frozen sea) and moved to two other families!! Then the coastal children were evacuated. I was sent to Glamorganshire, not with the children from the Whitstable but linked to East London children even though I came from West London. I stayed there a year or so, again moving from one home to another. I learnt a little Welsh, long since forgotten. I went back home for holidays, (when the raids decreased), travelling by main-line train in the care of the guard. After a year plus, my mother organised a nearer billet in Apsley Guise. Again I stayed with three different families (making a total of nine in four years!). There, the evacuee children went to the 鈥渙ld鈥� school while the locals attended the 鈥渘ew鈥� school. And again, the children at the school came from East London. When I first arrived, there were three staff, gradually reducing to just the Headmistress, as the number of children reached school-leaving age or went home. I learnt through individual tuition and Teach Yourself books. In fact I had a good basic education and started algebra, which seemed like playing games then. I also was coached for the LCC and Bedford County scholarships, trying old papers and, not surprisingly, passed both. My parents chose to have me home again and I started at my grammar school in September 1943. Of course, all thought the war was turning in Britain鈥檚/Allies鈥� favour. However, V1s and V2s started later.

The above paragraph covered my years away. I was an only child and brought up 鈥渘ot to make a fuss鈥�, in a strongly non-conformist family. I knew that my parents loved me and they kept in touch 鈥� and I saw them at holiday time.

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