大象传媒

My youngest Brother was called Dennis, and then Bert was the next one up. They got up to all sorts during the war! They were evacuated with the other young people with their names round their necks. They were the last two to be found anywhere to live because they wanted to stay together, and they couldn鈥檛 find anyone to take them in, it took a long while. They sat there for ages until an elderly couple from Sheffield said they鈥檇 take them. They weren鈥檛 very happy with them though.

I went to Sheffield one day to see if they were alright, and the lady was shouting at Bert to go and pick the pail up and go and get the water. To Den she said 鈥淵ou get on with picking those potatoes!鈥� They just looked up and saw me, and Bert dropped the pail and they both came running to me and put their arms around me crying. The lady came out and shouted to them 鈥渉ave you got that water yet?鈥� I said 鈥淣o, you can get it yourself, I鈥檓 taking them home鈥�. They went back again later with a nice couple in Sheffield 鈥� they had a son the same age as Bert and they got on very well there, she was a nice lady and they were very happy, so we were content too. They stayed there for quite some time during the war 鈥� a year or two at least. Then finally I went up and brought them home, I was pleased to see them back where they belong.

When Dennis used to have his mates around and help them out with eggs and anything else out of the larder. He鈥檇 cook them eggs 鈥� he鈥檇 give 鈥榚m anything. I鈥檇 come in and say 鈥淲hat are you doing?鈥� 鈥淕iving them something to eat鈥� he鈥檇 innocently reply. 鈥淭ell them they can go and get something to eat in their own homes!鈥� I鈥檇 order. He was a terror.

I came home one day and there was a crowd of children round the gate; I said 鈥淲hat鈥檚 going on?鈥� and my next door neighbour cried 鈥淥h, come and look at him鈥�. He was hanging out the top window- the bedroom window. I told them all 鈥淐ome on you lot, home you go: if he wants to jump that鈥檚 up to him.鈥� I looked up at him and said 鈥淚f you鈥檙e going to jump, jump, 鈥榗ause if you don鈥檛 I鈥檒l come up and push you out!鈥� He heard me coming up the stairs and couldn鈥檛 get back in quick enough. He really was a terror, but we had some fun with 鈥榚m.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Doris Saunders and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs Saunders fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Doris's stories:

• We weren鈥檛 prepared for war at all
• They鈥檇 all just started, like me
• That鈥檚 how we crossed paths
• You heard the 鈥渟wish鈥� of the rocket just before it landed on the house
• All you could see was his eyes
• You鈥檇 see a queue and just jump on the end
• Climbing trees and fences
• We took notice that time!
• He鈥檇 gone all the way round
• It was lucky I鈥檇 already got married

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