大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War website by Liz Andrew of the Lancshomeguard on behalf of Anne Jackson and added to the site with her permission.

I remember the Sunday morning when the War started. I was about nineteen or twenty and I was the maid at a house at Copy Nook near Bolton by Bowland. The rest of the family were out at Church and I was alone in the house cooking the dinner and the announcement came over the Radio. I remember it quite clearly 鈥� I could go back and stand in the same spot right now.

That night I went to the Chapel Harvest at Tosside. As we came home you usually had the most glorious view of the lights at Barnoldswick 鈥� but that night there were no lights at all 鈥� The Blackout had already begun.

I remember the day the German plane bombed Chatburn. The ground shook with the impact and we saw the plane disappearing 鈥� living where we did it wasn鈥檛 long before someone came and told us what had happened. (A German plane hit houses and the Post Office in the village of Chatburn opposite Chatburn Mill 鈥� at least one lady and her dog were killed).

I was married in 1941 and went to farm with my husband. We had coupons for clothing 鈥� when I got married I wore a dress and jacket - something I could wear afterwards. We spent our honeymoon in Morecambe. It was four days long 鈥� we were there from Thursday to Monday. We stayed in a Boarding House with lots of airmen and told that if there was an Air Raid, it was the responsibility of one of them to raise the alarm. But nothing happened.

We had German and Italian prisoners of war to help with the work. I remember one German who came to live in our house. While he was with us he lived just like we did. He knew enough English to talk to us. He was a farmer back in Germany and he was glad to be on a farm again. He didn鈥檛 want to fight. He was a really grand chap. He was called Himmel. There was nothing to be frightened of and I鈥檝e often wished that after the war we had kept in touch.

He had a young daughter 鈥� I think she was called Rosalind. He used to sit at night in the rocking chair with his eyes closed and our baby daughter on his knee. I always imagined he was wishing he was home.

British officers came once every three weeks or so 鈥� they鈥檇 cut his hair and give him cigarettes. I鈥檓 sorry to say that although they were on the same side as us I didn鈥檛 like their attitude towards him. They were always letting him know, 鈥淵ou鈥檙e the prisoner.鈥� I was always glad when they had gone and I knew we wouldn鈥檛 be seeing them for another three weeks.

There were also Italian prisoners of war billeted at Tosside. They were really good with their hands and made wonderful toys - like pecking chickens. They were glad to be out of the fighting too.

All farmers had to plough the land during the war. Corn wouldn鈥檛 ripen but we had to grow oats and turnips. I remember the threshing days when all the neighbours would come over and help 鈥� and then we鈥檇 go round and help with their threshing.
As for rationing, I remember standing in the kitchen wondering what to make .. but you always made something. There were wartime recipes on the radio 鈥� there was one for Carrot Cake 鈥� but it was like Carrot cake without the goodness.

But the worst thing about the war was the time towards the end when you were fed up with the rationing and making do and you just wanted it top be over.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.