- Contributed by听
- Hertfordshire Archives & Local Studies HALS
- People in story:听
- Mr Dunham
- Location of story:听
- Kings Langley, Hertfordshire
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A3726344
- Contributed on:听
- 28 February 2005
Like a lot of schoolchildren during the war, I was encouraged to do my bit for the war effort. One way of helping out and also getting a bit of pocket money was catching rats.
My friends and I were paid either 1p or 3p for each rats tail we produced. We used to do this particularly in the school holidays. At the back of the local Co-Op there used to be a mini poultry farm, and we used to rake out the rats and know them on the head.
We took the tails to the WVS who paid us by the tail. One night when walking home I saw a rat on its back holding an egg between its legs, and being towed by the tail by another rat back to the nest. Even rats had to pull together to feed the family!
Another thing we did to boost the wartime economy was to pick rosehips during August and September. We would take them to the WVS to make into rosehip syrup, which they sold to raise funds.
漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.
Recommended story
Story with photo