大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by John Young from 大象传媒 South East Today on behalf of Sheila Jackson, and has been added with her permission. Amanda Bolton fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

This is a story about separation and rejection.

I was 12 when war broke out on 3 September 1939, living on Waddon Road in Croydon, with my parents, younger sister and two younger brothers.

The moment war was announced on the radio, our mother gathered us together. The next morning, at about 9am, we were taken to Wadden School. I had my gas mask in its case, and my suitcase. A coach took us, along with other children, to East Croydon station. Our parents weren鈥檛 allowed on the coach. It was traumatic. I was the oldest of four 鈥� suddenly, I was 鈥渕um鈥�. The train took us to East Grinstead, deep in Sussex.

I was so frightened. It was just horrible. I remember they鈥檇 given us a bar of Cadbury鈥檚 Chocolate. We stood in a hall whilst people came in to choose which children they wanted. The four of us stood in a row.

This was the worst thing. We were the last to be picked. We simply weren鈥檛 wanted. Nobody wanted a group of four children. I was separated from my brothers 鈥� once we鈥檇 been rehoused, we could only meet up in the playground of the school they sent us to. This was to be the first of four billets 鈥� there were to be two more years of this, until I turned 14. That鈥檚 when I had to get a job.

It鈥檚 amazing, to be honest, that I got on in life at all after that 鈥� there was no formal education, really. I wouldn鈥檛 put anyone through that.

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