大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Tanya Proudlove from Lancs Home Guard on behalf of Alice Lindsay and has been added to the site with her permission.

I will always remember that Sunday morning in September 1939 when Chamberlain announced we were at war with Germany. My heart sank, I had a baby 4 months old and we had been warned about gas and been issued with gas masks. The one I had for the baby was like a mobile incubator in which I had to place the baby, fasten the straps, thus making it air (or gas) tight. I then had to pump air in by hand, and my dread was - if anything happens to me and I am unable to use the pump, the baby will suffocate. Fortunately we did not live in a danger area, and as time went by I learned to relax and live with it.

Then, of course, there was the "BLACKOUT". The windows were criss-crossed with strips of adhesive paper to stop any glass flying if shattered by bombs. The draw curtains on each window were made of black cloth to be drawn when the light was switched on, also we had black cloth curtains over the outside doors so when the door opened no light would show. The trains and buses were also darkened and cars' headlights were capped so they would not shine out.

As food rationing started immediately, we did not have the shortages experienced in the 1914-18 war. Of course certain things were scarce - chocolates, some fruits from abroad such as bananas. We also received food from the USA, canned meat etc.

During this period I lived 12 miles from Manchester and 20 miles from Liverpool. Thus, although we were not bombed, we had the sirens going whichever city was being attacked. We were quite knowledgeable about the German planes with their deep heavy drone. We also became quite adept at seeing whilst walking at night in the dark and also fearless, as we had none of today's problems of attack and rape.

We had air raid shelters, but they were cold and damp, so I made a bed on the floor under the stairs, which was warm and cosy. We also had a stock of candles and matches in case the lights went out.

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