´óÏó´«Ã½

DIANA STEVENS (neé Beresford)

In September 1940 I was evacuated with my sister Rosemary and brother David to South Africa. We set out from Liverpool in the ship The Llanstefan Castle.

When we arrived in South Africa we were taken off the ships to a big house in Cape Town — Smuts House where families took the children in. Of 300 there were about 50 of us left who were taken to a Jewish orphanage. I was taken ill when we left the ship with what turned out to be scarlet fever. I was taken by ambulance to hospital and put into a room by myself. They cut my hair off — I had fair ringlets — it was lovely hair and it was all cut off. After a while when they thought I was getting better they put me into a big ward. But I wasn’t getting better and became delirious. I was returned to isolation and tied to the bed to stop me falling out of bed or hurting myself because I was delirious. Eventually I was returned to the big ward when I was recovering. I remember a lady giving me a doll — people were allowed to look into the ward through glass. The lady saw how distressed I was and gave me the doll. I wasn’t allowed to take it with me when I left in case it was infected. I was in hospital for over three months. Thankfully I was then reunited with my brother and sister.

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