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Dorothy Hutchins was nine years old when the war started and was living with her mother, father and sister. Dorothy had quite a large family with several Aunts and Uncles. She lived in Westmoor鈥檚 Crank Row.

It was a lovely summer鈥檚 morning and Dorothy was playing in a field when she heard the news that we were going to war with Germany.The announcement was met with a sense of excitement and anticipation.

When rationing came into force, the adults in her family found it difficult to cope with, but for the children, nothing was different, apart from not being able to get sweets or fruits. She had to eat many different foods that she wouldn鈥檛 have eaten before the war, like rabbits, Soya milk and beans, as well as dried eggs, saccharine and the use of margarine instead of sugar. Dorothy grew lots of vegetables like turnips, potatoes, carrots, cabbages, onions and leeks. Everyone in her family used to pull together and was part of the 鈥淒ig for Victory鈥� campaign. The worst times for food shortages were in the winter and when food convoys were being attacked and sunk.

The air raids were by far the most frightening experience for her. The sirens used to go off up to twice a day and raids were more regular at and during the night. Dorothy and her family had an Anderson shelter which they shared with two other families. It wasn鈥檛 very cramped for Dorothy as she and her sister had bunk beds. When the Blitz took place they used to spend the whole night in the shelters. For adults it was annoying having to carry around their gas masks but for children it was just part of their daily routine.

During and after the war, Hitler was portrayed as a monster, murderer and killer of innocent people, notably Jewish children during the Holocaust. She used to listen avidly to the wireless and cheered when the allies had a victory.

Dorothy also noted that soldiers used to march from Gosforth Park, through Westmoor escorting Italian prisoners of war, to local farms, where they worked as laborers. Her earliest childhood memory was going on the tramcar to see her Grandma and Grandad every Saturday. Her social life included having two or three boyfriends and going to the cinema to see Westerns, Musicals, War and sometimes Adventure films. When the war ended she was overjoyed at the thoughts of being able to have plenty of food and the simple luxury of getting new clothes. To celebrate, Dorothy and her family had a street party and danced the night away.

By Matthew Aston and Andrew Toothill of George Stephenson High School, Killingworth, Newcastle upon Tyne.

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