大象传媒

In 1942, at the age of 10 years, I decided to do a war effort of my own. I lived in a Yorkshire village, not much touched by the war at that point, but a cousin of my mother鈥檚 was a Prisoner of War captured at St Nazaire. What I felt I could do was to have a jumble sale 鈥� with clothes rationing this was not a strange idea. I collected whatever I could, which included a collection of Goss china from a great-aunt, which I sold for threepence or sixpence a piece (now collectors鈥� items!). I had a doll given which someone dressed in a nurse鈥檚 uniform and I asked the local Red Cross organiser to name it. She gave it her own name, which was guessed by 4 people, so I had to draw lots in the end. On a Saturday morning, I borrowed a trestle table and put it up on the footpath outside our house, and got a younger friend and my younger brother to help me. We made just 拢4, which I proudly sent to the Red Cross Prisoners of War Fund, and it paid for 16 parcels for our prisoners held in Germany.

I repeated the exercise the following 3 years, though by 1945 our prisoners were all back home, so the money went to some other Red Cross Fund. I think I raised about 拢27 in the 4 years.

During this time, I had also been enrolled to sell 鈥渇lags鈥� in the town, and Poppies around the village. By 1947 I was bolder as asked permission to sell poppies at 鈥渢he Camp鈥� 鈥� this was a POW camp on the outskirts of the village, where the Germans were by this time preparing for repatriation and were not held as captives. I expected to sell poppies to the guards. I went up to the main gate and stated my business and was escorted to the Commandant鈥檚 office. To my surprise, he grabbed the first passing German (I remember him well, young, blond and handsome, called Ernst) and said 鈥淭ake this young lady round the huts鈥�. There were not many Germans on camp at that time, but those who were simply relaxing in the huts were really interested in what Poppies were about, and gladly gave me their meagre coppers for a poppy each. I felt very privileged 鈥� these men were friends.

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