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"This story was submitted to the People's War site by the Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Department on behalf of Vera Finch and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
We had a shop on Princess Street at Wombwell. People registered with their ration books and every now and then a consignment of tins e.g. salmon or fruit, came for distribution. Butter, margarine, lard and cheese were rationed. Ration books had coupons in them in strips; they had to be cut out as required by the shopkeeper. You had recipes out of bacon bits and fat with lentils and pearl barley and vegetables to make a broth — nothing was wasted. Eggs were kept in a bucket with a mixture of isinglass and water. Vegetables and fruit were pickled and bottled. Boxed cases were covered in lino cloth to preserve them.

We went into the cellar under the shop when air raids were on. You could feel the vibration under the earth. Gas masks were obtained from Morley’s jam factory on Summer Lane; we had to add an attachment later.

I was years old when war was declared and at the High School. The air raid shelters were near the Hall and they were zigzagged to get into them.

We used to knit socks; mittens; scarves and gloves for the servicemen.

I did 3 years first aid and nursing from school and at the end passed out with a nursing qualification. Wombwell baths was turned into a hospital for servicemen on recuperation.

Father was in essential work as he worked on the railways so he wasn’t called up. Men who worked in the mines or were firemen were also classed as essential workers.

A family friend went to Sheffield Empire and an air raid started. The manager said the show would go on but she went to the shelter around the corner. The shelter had a direct hit and she was never seen again. The theatre was safe.

The land for the streets off Main Street at Wombwell was given as charity for 1 guinea. The streets were called after children, John; William; Fredrick; Bartholomew; Myrtle etc no alcohol was allowed to be sold on this land.

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