´óÏó´«Ã½

A CHILD’S VIEW OF THE HOME FRONT

I was born in Halesowen in 1932, and at the start of the war I was living with my Grandparents. I didn’t really understand what the ‘crisis’ was — but remember being issued with my first gas mask. Not a ‘Mickey Mouse’ one, but a real mask with a filter that could be changed.

That summer, the holidays were spent digging a shelter like a pub cellar, and watching a parade of L.D.V’S (Local Defence Volunteers) being drilled by a W.W.I. Sergeant.

I remember there was an A.A. (Anti Aircraft) gun on Rowley Hills, and one time a shell from that gun fell on Brierley Hill and two people were killed. A bomb was dropped on Dudley top Church, and in 1940 a big land mine was dropped. We went out collecting shrapnel and there were kids who had lost their parents, crying.

On top of Clent Hills, there were more A.A. guns, and Barrage Balloons.

There was a yellow painted sign near the Warden’s post. We were told that it was a gas detector, for mustard gas, I think.

There were lots of ways that civilians could help with the war effort: - selling badges for ‘Spitfire Week’, or flags for ‘Mrs Churchill’s Aid to Russia Fund’, and there were also knitting circles — making socks and balaclavas.

We had National Savings clubs at school. Each saving stamp cost 6d (2 1/2p), and when you had got 30 in your book, you could change it for a certificate worth 15 shillings (75p).

All the boys carried pen knives so that we could carve model aeroplanes.

Because there wasn’t much petrol, some cars were converted to run on gas — the gas bag was fixed to the top of the car. Then came the different shelters — Anderson shelters for the garden and Morrison shelters for indoors.

Stirrup pumps were available in case there were fires caused by incendiary bombs. They cost 2/6d (12 1/2p) or 5/-d (25p).

We had family who were farmers, so when I went to stay, the food was good. We had eggs, butter and bacon. The pigs were taken out in a lorry, which was driven around in 1st gear to drown the noise of the pig being killed. We used to have eggs in a bucket, preserved in isinglass. Bread was the ‘National Loaf’, which was very grey, so my Gran used to sift flour through a silk stocking (to filter out the rubbish), to make real bread.

I remember a troop train going through Kidderminster in 1944. It must have been soldiers preparing for ‘D’ Day.

Looking back, I think the unsung heroes were the Women’s’ Land Army, (when it was all over they weren’t allowed to keep their uniforms), and the A.T.A. (Air Transport Auxiliary) — women who would fly aeroplanes from the factories to the aerodromes.

This story was submitted to the People’s War site by June Woodhouse of the CSV Action Desk at ´óÏó´«Ã½ Hereford and Worcester on behalf of Barrie Darby and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site’s terms and conditions

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