大象传媒

I was born in October, 1934. My memories go back to rage as during the war many unpleasant things happened. We were in the shelter for many long hours although living in Peterborourgh we were not bombed by incoming planes. The occasional bomb was dropped as the planes were leaving the area, having been up to Coventry to bomb up there, but because of the way air raids worked, we were in the shelter from the moment the planes were going over until they came back. So we were in the shelters, which were unheated and unlit, for many hours. This was during the day at school and there were lots of people. I wore my mother's old fur coat for warmth because it was cold and damp. Although we had packed meals with us, I refused to eat mine because there were spiders falling down. You never knew what was going to happen. It was quite a nasty experience and we were in for a long time. It was quite dark as there was no proper lighting until the end of the war when it was too late anyway. We had sort of talking lessons and limited games.

My mother couldn't get me out of the shelter early because she had a small child who was born during the Battle of Britain and an ancient grandmother who was 80 when I was born, so one day a neighbour came for her child and me. It was only a few minutes walk but as we were walking home,we were in fact machine-gunned, and we had to dive into a ditch. The plane was low enough for us to see the pilot and the machine-gun. That was a horrid experience. We were OK but somewhat scarred, emotionally scarred.

I was also worried that I might survive the war and my family not. My mother refused to go into a shelter at night because of my grandmother. I was in a table shelter indoors with my baby sister. My father was out fire-watching. I was terrified that we would be bombed, and my sister and I would be the only ones to survive. And at that time I wasn't especially fond of my sister -I was worried she was going to be an encumbrance! I can remember being worried night after night that I was going to survive and everyone else not. It was a horrid feeling. I was about 6 or 7, that sort of age.

My mother felt her priorities were with her mother who was nearly 90 and refused to go into a shelter, which when you're nearly 90 is fair enough. Also, my mother felt we were safe and she was doing her best for us. It was a very worrying time and not a time I like even to think about really.

We were very glad when the war was over. I remember all the VE and VJ celebrations but I don't remember clearly the announcement that war was over - just the general celebrations.

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