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Emily Cathcart was expecting her first child in September 1939. She and her husband George Cathcart ran a small country general store and post office in Bellanaleck, Co. Fermanagh. Emily, now 88, recalls the dramatic news of the outbreak of war:

I vividly remember the radio announcement in September 1939 that war was declared .It was a Sunday. We were expecting our first baby, born 31st October that year. We just hugged each other in dismay.
On Monday morning the mail bus arrived at 7 o’clock as usual , bringing the papers. There was very little news or information - it hadn’t reached Northern Ireland yet. Gradually, we learned about the black out and rationing, etc.
Everyone was issued with ration books detailing what we could eat - maybe ½ lb butter a week each. Meat was especially tightly rationed. We country people managed better than townsfolk. We had our own fowl and eggs . We owned a few cows and their milk was useful to cook rice with and other milk foods.
Our little shop soon ran out of some supplies - shipping was being affected and things like lemon peel, nuts and Indian meal for making bread became very scarce. Even white flour was in short supply, but most of us housewives baked our own bread and used wheat meal or even maize so long as it lasted.

We cut our own turf and were able to stack it up for the winter. A nice cheery fire kept everyone warm and bright coals heated an oven for baking bread. We could fry eggs and any scraps of bread on a pan over the coals too. Fat for frying was scarce .

When Arthur, our son, was born, baby clothes were hard to come by. Being able to breast-feed him was a great help. Some mothers resorted to feeding their babies on a mixture of milk and water with a little sugar added. Mistakes were often made regarding the strength of the mixture. ‘Arthur Neville’ was a happy little baby. It was impossible to buy toys, but he would content himself in his playpen with simple things for amusement: a spoon to beat on a tin plate was a favourite.
We had the black out, yet just across the border only miles from us, they were all lit up.
The German bombers found that useful and flew across to bomb Belfast . Densely populated parts of the city had to be evacuated wholesale. Train loads of people were dispatched to the country at short notice and we got many of them in Fermanagh.

As soon as I could organise myself to be of use in the war effort, I formed a band of the WVS. One of our first jobs was looking after evacuees. Their allocation was being organised from the Townhall. If possible children of a family were kept together. At Rushin, near us in Bellanaleck, was a large house lying vacant - it provided ideal accommodation for evacuees, especially mothers and young children .
We in the WV S organised blankets for them and bedding, pots and pans, cups and utensils for their use .These city people were completely disorientated in the country. It was difficult to look after them - they rolled themselves in any bedding they could find. Although there was water laid on, some of the mothers made no effort to wash themselves or the children or provide for them in any way .

Some of the evacuees wandered off to make their way home. Altogether it was a terrible experience for anyone trying to help. One young lad was discovered with a stick in his hand beating ducks around a house in a yard at his billet. Some did make an effort to settle in, but even mealtimes were often a problem. Children in many cases couldn’t get used to the food provided. You would find food stashed away in a bedroom or maybe in flowerpots - anything to avoid admitting they didn’t like it . But our little community here in Bellanaleck did try to help any way we could.
In the harvest time anyone who had a few blackcurrents or apples to spare gave them to us. We also picked blackberries and with all these fruits we made jam. Children were detailed to collect jam jars and bring them in clean. We sold the jam in the shop and with the money we bought wool for our work class.
We WVS women met a few times a week. We would knit socks and other clothes for the troops.
One woman was detailed to check all garments for imperfections. One particular woman was great at knitting socks, but her finished socks always reeked of the turf fire - no doubt the soldiers appreciated that!
When enough garments were ready we made up a good dispatch to send to the appropriate depot. The women would also send little things like choclate sweets, facecloths and many’s a little note was tucked into the toe of a sock or whatever. Sometimes we got notes in return. Some of these women were soldiers’ wives themselves. This made for great encouragement to strive for more garments to be sent. We felt we were all in it together .
Jumble sales were held in local halls. It was a great way of raising money and disposing of unwanted clothes or kitchen items or furniture. Everything had to be good- as near perfect as possible. Things being scarce, people were glad to pick up unwanted articles especially clothes.

All clothes here were rationed, in contrast to the Free State nearby. However their prices went up.
Petrol and oil of all descriptions was rationed, priority being give to lorries or vans used for delivery .A lot of people simply locked their car away in the garage with the wheels put of boards to preserve the tyres .
Wedding were especially hard to organise those times and people had to keep the numbers small. Wedding presents were a problem - if a couple got together the bare necessities to set up home, they were satisfied.
Rarely could folk afford a honeymoon - for one thing there was no transport except by train. They kept running- maybe because the military relied on them too.

Up until the early 40’s there was no telecommunication in Bellanaleck, My husband requested the Head Post Office to install a telephone in our post office. It was granted, provided four or five substantial signatures accompanied the request. He got the local vet, the clergyman and a few large farmers to guarantee no loss of money if the phone was installed. Eventually a payphone was installed in the hall of our dwelling house . We had to answer each time it rang. Customers had to request calls and we were responsible for the cash. People requesting calls often had to wait a long time. One lady, I remember, sat in our hall for hours. Her husband was a soldier from London and had sent her home for safety. She was always anxious to know how he was and often requested a call. While she waited, we would carry on with other calls. We also had to deal with telegrams and all the appropriate documents to do with them. Correspondence by telegram in war time was popular. Many times I cycled long distances to deliver a telegram. Some people, especially families of servicemen, dreaded to see me producing the recognisable yellow envelope. I had to stand and wait for a reply. All was well if the person came out smiling. Telegrams of congratulation were very nice- there was special stationery for those .
Eventually the telephone was put outside in a phone box and for long enough some of us had to go and instruct people how to use the instrument.
The radio was a lifeline and we looked forward to Churchill’s voice. His speeches were really uplifting.

In our vicinity, we had one battalion of American soldiers stationed at Lisgoole, near the gatehouse. We never knew much about them. Food- wise they sounded as though there were vegetarians or some kind of health food eaters. They didn’t mingle much with the ‘natives’ but when they did, they were very generous, giving out fruit and cigarettes, etc . Two of them used to walk as far as our house and come in for a chat now and again. I would make them tea, but they wouldn’t accept anything to eat.
They were completely different in temperament- one was very quiet and quite English- sounding. The other never stopped talking. Getting them apart one day, I learned that one was North American, the other from the Southern States. The Southern one was slightly coloured and had a photo of his new wife and baby in her arms. He seemed highly strung, so different from the other man who was calm. Obviously, there was not much love between them - but there they were, forced to live together and get on.
A few local girls hung about the camp, but really the men were really well drilled and didn’t want to communicate. We subsequently learned they were training for something serious. - They were later to be with forces who were to land at Dunkirk and a lot of them were lost. I often see in my mind’s eye still that photograph the Southerner showed me, telling me how much he was missing his wife and baby and I always think how sad it was they never saw each other again.

When the war ended in 1945, there was great jubilation, especially in towns and cities. However, rationing didn’t end until years after. My two girls were born in 1947 and 1948. Clothes were still scarce and on my little machine, I made garments for them. Of course I was just an amateur. One time I made a coat in a hurry. I had it hanging, buttonholes done and buttons sewn on ,when I realised I had put one sleeve in back to front.

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