大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Martin Hough from WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Audrey Hemming and has been added to the site with her permission Audrey Hemming fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

I was 10 when the war started and 16 when it ended, so I virtually grew up during the war years.

My first recollection of war was of hearing of the Spanish Civil war on the wireless and how frightening it seemed. I was therefore very scared when there was talk of war with Germany and especially when gas masks were issued. I was in hospital at the time and missed our allocation. I think gas was my main horror.

We lived on the outskirts of Birmingham and for a time 鈥淲AR鈥� wasn鈥檛 close at hand . At the outbreak all schools were closed and then later opened part time, more or less as a play centre when attendance was optional. Later when the air raids started we were allowed to go to school late, 10.00a.m. to qualify for an attendance mark.

Many things were closed down including our Brownie meetings. When we did restart it was in our Pack Leaders small spare bedroom, having previously used the school hall. Later we used the Scout hut. When I did start Guides it was a Saturday afternoon meeting in a local school.

As we lived on the outskirts of Birmingham, at first we were not in an evacuation zone, and in fact evacuees were being billeted in an area nearby which came under Solihull, Warwickshire. We did have air raids and the nightly routine was to have Mac鈥檚, wellies and gas masks among other things at the ready. These were taken into the Anderson Shelter in our garden. Emergency rations etc were permanently kept in the shelter. The nearest bombs to do any damage were in the next road.

In November 1940 the main water supply was damaged and we had no water. A water wagon used to come around the streets bringing water. Alternatively, people and especially children would go across the fields by our local golf course where there was a well. Anti Aircraft guns and soldiers were located in these fields. The soldiers would supervise the distribution of water but we were also directed to a 鈥渟pring鈥� from where we found an alternative supply.

Because of the water shortage our schools were finally evacuated. I didn鈥檛 go with the school but my Mother took my younger sister and I to relatives in Cannock, Staffordshire where we attended the local schools. We didn鈥檛 stay there long as when my Father was ill with flu we came home. My Father was a bus driver and one of his duties was to supervise the buses that were parked overnight in local roads. Buses were dispersed at night in case the depot was bombed.

January 1941 brought another spate of severe air raids and another purge on evacuation. This time I was going somewhere in Leicestershire, but also told of Pipewood Camp, a school near Rugeley, Staffordshire, consisting of wooden huts which Birmingham Education had taken for Birmingham school girls. There was another , 鈥淪hooting Butts鈥� on Cannock Chase for boys. So I was evacuated for two and a half years. Pipewood was a wonderful experience, there were girls from all over Birmingham and from memory we all got on extremely well, in fact we still have an annual reunion. Staff there must have been devoted and as one girl said 鈥渢hey were our mothers鈥�.

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