大象传媒

I was 13 years old and living in Totnes, when war broke out. I remember the announcement on the wireless at 11am, September 3rd 1939 (I was peeling potatoes for lunch).

One day we heard that trains carrying troops returning from Dunkirk were passing through our station. Hastily my Mother made sandwiches and filled lemonade bottles with hot sweet tea. My younger brother Dean and I dashed down to the station to find the train standing in the station, the weary travel stained soldiers eagerly accepted our offerings through the carriage window. They turned out their pockets and threw us their useless French money, which I still have to this day.

I remember assembling parts of gas masks in one of the local halls.

I was sent on a visit to great aunt Mabel who lived in Millbay, Plymouth. My visit coincided with the first Blitz. Fearfully we sheltered under the stairs. Later we were to see the glow of the burning oil fires on the horizon from a hill in Totnes. Evacuees arrived in their hundreds, some from London, and to my own school from Plymouth. Another of my great aunts came from Plymouth to escape the bombing. Classrooms were full, this gave opportunities to young lads to disappear for a few hours to watch the American troops building Bailey bridges in preparation for the invasion.

I was busy taking my School Certificate exams. During one of these, the air raid siren went and we ducked under our desks being assured that the examiners would be informed of the interruption.

Mother worked in the Food Office, issuing ration books, baby food and orange juice to those who had permits. Father served in the Home Guard and I believe they had an excellent card school going!

With food rationing very much part of our lives, it was a treat to go to Evans Tea-room in Paignton where we were allocated two small cakes. Unfortunately while queuing for the bus in the station square, a German plane flew over us and sprayed us with gunfire, flying so low I glimpsed the pilot in his cockpit. Fortunately Mother and I were unharmed.
Other memories include the arrival of a food parcel from relatives in Australia, wonderful tinned fruit! Queuing for a pair of red Brevitt shoes in Torquay and joining the Girl鈥檚 Training Corps where we studied First Aid, learned to handle a rifle and marched under the eagle eye of an R.S.M.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.