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In 1938 I was ten years of age when I left Cosham, Portsmouth as an evacuee. As far as I can remember my teacher, at Portsdown Junior School told us we would be going on an outing from School. We were given a list of things we had to take — I remember we were told to bring Eucryl toothpaste, in a tin, (I hated this as it was not the toothpaste we had at home) a tin mug and plate (I hated them). I don’t remember being told to bring cutlery or clothes, but I suppose we took some. Of course, we had a gas mask that was with us all the time. Also, I remember a brown cardboard luggage label with string tied to us. (I still hate brown luggage labels). I remember being taken to the Station by my mother and being put in charge of our teacher from Portsdown School, Miss Haines. She is in one of the photos, with some of the girls, outside St Michael’s School.

The so-called “outing” ended at the Maudrell Hall, which was opposite the Clock Tower in Fisherton Street, Salisbury — people came and took children away. My sister, Edna, aged five and I were almost the last — we wanted to be together and no one seemed to want two sisters.

A Mr and Mrs Davis collected us, they seemed very old. They wanted us to call them Auntie and Uncle but we didn’t, as they were not our Auntie and Uncle.

Mr. and Mrs. Davis lived in a small bungalow in Queen Mary Road. I suppose they were probably middle aged but we thought them very old. They tried their best but they were a childless couple and really did not have much idea of what children were like. Mr. Davis was a refrigeration engineer and looked after the equipment at the Army camps and brought home a lot of food.

We both slept in the same single bed and sometimes my sister wet the bed and I tried to cover it up — also she picked a hole in the wall; again, I tried to cover this up by putting things against the hole.

Mr and Mrs Davis attended Church at St. Michael’s in Roman Road (it is now the St. John Ambulance H.Q.) And we went to morning, afternoon and evening services. I was confirmed in that Church, as it was then. The hall was used for other events in the week.

Our teacher, Miss Haines, who came from Portsmouth with us and continued teaching us in huts beside the Church in Roman Road. I think we only went to school on alternate days. I remember we walked a great deal, across the fields to the Avenue at Wilton.

I cannot forget and it still gives me ‘goose pimples’ when it is re-enacted, Mr. Chamberlain saying “We are now at war with Germany” ugh.

Our school was mixed — boys and girls — the boys were often naughty and we did not play with them. I went on to the school in Devizes Road once that opened and Eventually I went to School at Highbury Avenue. My sister went to Devizes Road School. I stayed in Salisbury until I was l4 years when I left school and went home to Portsmouth. My sister had gone home earlier — she was always homesick.

The American forces took over what is nowe the Woolworth building in the High Street and used as their Social Club. They were always very kind to we “Portsmouth children” and we used to be invited to parties. The Portsmouth boys were notorious for getting into fights though.

I then worked in a shop. Above that shop was a flat and the son came home from the Navy — I eventually married him. He came out of the Navy and it was difficult to find work unless on the docks, which he didn’t want. Later Mr and Mrs Davis suggested we come to Salisbury. For a while we lived with them. My husband got a job at the Post Office. Later we were allocated a house in Olivier Close — part of the new estate on Bemerton Heath.

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