大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People's War site by CSV Storygatherer Jane Chanter on behalf of Peter Philip Rose. The story has been added with his permission and Peter Philip Rose fully understands the terms and conditions of the site.

I was eight years old when the war started in September 1939 and yet my memories of events affecting me through the ensuing six years are still very clear. Before war broke out my father was called up as he was a member of the Army Reserve. I remember going with my mother to see him off on his journey to Aldershot from Loughton,(Essex).
It was a very sad occasion as we had no idea when we would see each other again.

I always remember the morning of Sunday 3rd September 1939 when Neville Chamberlain spoke to the nation on the radio and told us that the country was now at war with Germany. My mother and I were standing together in the kitchen when the news came through. My mother's eyes filled with tears and although I didn't really understand why, I started to cry myself. After the Prime Minister's announcement we heard the wail of the air raid siren and thought an air raid was imminent. Fortunately, I think that it was only a rehearsal and there was no air raid.

Two weeks or so later my father was given a days leave from Aldershot and we were able to see him at a relatives' home near Reading. Soon after this his company left for France as part of the British Epeditionary Force and we did not see him again until he came home on leave in March 1940. It was wonderful to have Dad home once again. Being a young boy I was quite interested in the Lee Enfield rifle he brought with him although I could not understand why.

Life for my mother and myself was not greatly affected adversely in the first six months of the war. Air raids had not started and there did not seem to be any particular shortage of food. My mother became an ambulance driver for a while and when she was on duty I used to stay the nights with an Aunt and Uncle nearby. I presume her job became necessary as army pay was considerably less than we had before the war. I do believe that the financial situation improved when my father's civil employers made up his pay to what he had received from them.

The war started in earnest in May 1940 when the Americans invaded the Low Countries and France. My father's company had been stationed in the Corbie near Amiens and was removed to Armentieres. Understandably, we had no idea what was happening to him when we subsequently learnt that he had made his way to Dunkirk and left there on a Royal Navy Destroyer for Dover on 29th May 1940. To our enormous relief we learned that he was safe and recouperating at Lulworth in Dorset. My mother and I joined him as soon as we could and had an unforgettable reunion with my father.

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