大象传媒

I was only 9 years old when war was declared and I lived in Old Hartlepool as it was called in those days, It is now known as the Headland.

Hartlepool is a very narrow town with sea on 3 sides to the north was the moor where the soldiers and guns were stationed. To the south were the docks with the sailors and the boats.

My father was a taxi driver and undertaker but when war broke out he had to return to the shipyards, as he was a skilled plater. He also drove the fire engine so we had to move house so dad was near the fire station. I understand there was a colour coded walling system telling the firemen the vicinity of the German planes, when this came through my family where taken across the road to shelter in the fire station, we spent long nights in this shelter.

I remember in September 1940 my baby sister was born and me and my 18-month-old baby brother were taken to the shelter while mum was in labour. My dad died on board the ship in December 1940 but the firemen still came over and took us to the shelter most nights and sometimes twice a night. One thing I really remember has to carry this large brown cardboard box, which held the gas mask for the baby. In the event of a gas alert we would have to but her in it and there was a pump, which we would have to use to give her air. But thankfully we never had to use it.

Our house had 2 rooms and a bathroom on the second floor and mam had to let it as a flat to sea captains and their wives. Over the years we had quite a lot of different couples living with us. The schools were closed on several occasions as most of the teachers had been called up. I remember about a dozen of us going to a ladies house and sat in her sitting room another time we met in the chapel and had lessons there.

There was quite a lot of bomb damage but I remember people saying it was a good job we were surrounded but water as it saved us from being flattened as a lot of the bombs dropped in the beach or in the sea, the only way into Hartlepool apart from the sea was through a bridge and it was said if this was bombed we would be an island keeping afloat by the barrage balloon.
We all know about rationing but one thing I really remember quite clearly was mam sending me to the fruiters as they had bananas in and after queuing for a long time I was given 2.

The criss cross brown paper on all the windows and all the railings on the garden gates taken away was another memory.

At the end of the war nearly every street held parties and decorated the streets with union jacks and bunting.

This story was told to Laura Grievson by an anonymous person on behalf of Age Concern

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