大象传媒

I was just four when World War Two began. My earliest recollection was at the time of Dunkirk. We were in a rented Bungalow on an island by the River Thames having been forced to leave our house in Clacton On Sea because of the threat of invasion.

This I was told at a later date and do not remember leaving. At the Bungalow I clearly remember my Sister Shirley and myself tied by a clothes line attached to the tree, to stop us falling in the water, watching the little boats go by gleaming and pristine in all their glory.

Then when they came back, although not so many, all battered, dented and in a really sad state. They had of course been to Dunkirk. I had no idea what it was all about, but I do remember this event made me, as small child, understand we were in War. Shirley and I used to stand on the bed in the evenings and wave to the Soldiers working the searchlights on the opposite bank, and they waved back.

My maternal Grandfather rented a big house in Sunbury on Thames and we were there at the time of the Battle of Britain. There were large cellers under the house linking up underground. I suppose these went to other properties because this is where we all went during Air-Raids, sometimes all night.

It was dark and damp down there, I recall. When the Air-Raid started I used to announce "I wish they would stop shooting the Bunny Rabbits" when the gun fire went off. Innocent of the dangers, so young, It was just as well. Another memory of this time was when a huge nought from the stone date of the house crashed through the kitchen window, missing me and my Mother by inches.

Also we thought the house was haunted, but in time we found out It was actually Squirrels getting down the chimneys and running around. We moved a lot in the War and the bombs "followed us" my Mother used to say.

Everywhere you travelled the Trains were packed with Troops. Obviously they were being moved around. I always seemed to end up sitting on a case in the corridor with my Doll. We even had a Canary in a cage with us. We had a short spell in the new forest Ringwood where the Ponies came in the garden.

We also stayed at an old cottage in Fordingbridge with a lovely old couple. I remember the bed had a habit of flying across the room because the floor sloped. Baths were in front of the fire in a tin bath. Most of the years were spent in Somerset & Devon. When I say 'we' I am meaning myself, my Sister and my Mother. My Father was a Government Architect and we saw him on occasions when he could get away.

My Father was passed unfit for any Military duties but was in all the raids on London because of his work and ARP duties. We spent some time on a Farm too. A Winter I shall never forget. The snow was so deep, it was up past the windows. Shirley and I saved a Lamb and it was a pet that followed us everywhere. We also had two puppies.

I loved being with the Farmer in the Cowshed because I really loved the Cows, until in all innocence, I cuddled one from the back and got kicked across the Cowshed. The poor Farmer was distraught and took me to my Mother in a limp bundle. She thought I was dead.

I have never quite trusted Cows since. I have lots of memories of the farm. We had some wonderful times. There were more places we moved to, eventually ending up in Dulverton. We had rooms at the Butchers shop for a while. The smell of tripe cooking was not pleasant. Bitter cold Winters and snow and the toilet was at the end of the garden.

We had a cottage up on the rocks by the river, owned by Mr.Snow. We called him Uncle Bunk. He remarried a dear friend and came to stay with us after the War. He had bad scars from being gassed in the First World War, so was not called up again. One house where we had rooms there, there were three children. One of them, we are still in contact with all these years later.

The American Soldiers arrived in their Tanks and took the corner off the Butchers shop. They ripped up the tarmac covering the cobbled street and knocked much of the wall down past our house into the river. It certainly woke up the sleepy village. They used to throw us sweets and wave. I thought It was exciting.

They were stationed up the 'Moor' as the locals called it on Exmoor. They turned the Town Hall in a cinema so there was entertainment for all. We used to walk home in the pitch dark and never feel afraid. The Americans were being trained for the last push of the War for D-Day. Nearly all were to lose their lives, I found out later.

My Mother made the best of things for us. We went out on bikes and a tricycle. We had picnics and walks in the Woods where you could see the Red Squirrels and other wildlife.

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