大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Carol Greenwood of Bradford Libraries on behalf of Mary Shaw and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

2nd September 1939, we had been on holiday in Wales enjoying glorious sunny weather - I had learnt to swim in the deep pools at Borth-y-Guest in North Wales. My parents became alarmed at the situation as they realised that there might be a war, and as we didn't have a car they were afraid it would be difficult to get back to Bradford. We came by train through Manchester and I remember seeing the platforms lined with children being evacuated. They each had their gas mask, a parcel with their clothes, and a label with their name written on pinned to their clothing.
War was declared on the 3rd September and, apart from the sirens going off shortly after Mr Chamberlain announced that we were at war, nothing happened for a long time. I blamed Hitler for spoiling my summer holiday!
We had to put special tape on all the windows to prevent flying glass and all the windows had to have black-out curtains; street lamps were not lit and all road signs were removed. Air raid wardens went around to ensure not a chink of light was visible.
I was allowed from my house to the church Youth Club meetings on my own - in the pitch black if there was no moon! One would not allow young people to do that these days.
The church opened a canteen for the troops billeted in the large houses facing the boulevard in Toller Lane and Jesmond Avenue area. My mother, Mrs Marjorie Jenkinson, and my aunt, Miss Hilda Worrall, along with Bertha Wright, Mrs Monkman and many more, willingly gave up their time to help bring some comfort to the soldiers, and it was very much appreciated.

I remember Christmas 1940, we had been planning to go to Sheffield to spend time with my grandparents and other relatives, but at the beginning of December they had to move to Hope in Derbyshire as their house was badly damaged in the blitz. My grandfather lost his memory as a result of the blast from a large H. E. bomb which exploded out in the road. The largest land mine also dropped nearby. An aunt lived nearer to the land mine and her brain was affected by the blast. She had to have a leucotomy operation and survived but her personality was altered - she was never the same person again.
My mother invited a soldier from Scotland to spend Christmas Day with us. It amused us when he told us he had 12 brothers and sisters and the whole family was working - except for his mother! We thought she would have worked harder than any of them. We heard later that this young man had been killed in action and were glad to have at least given him such a happy time at Christmas.
At the time of Dunkirk, a service was held to pray for calm weather so that the troops on the beaches could be rescued. The church was full and I recall people flocking down Little Lane, many didn't normally attend the church. Our prayers were answered and many soldiers were rescued.
A friend Margaret Walker annd myself had a library in the hut in our garden. Friends gave us books magazine and comics and we made a small charge for people to borrow them. With the money raised, we bought small gifts for some of the troops from Dunkirk, who were being treated at St. Luke's Hospital. Dr Agnes Cunningham, our doctor, took us to the wards to visit them and we were able to give out the presents we had chosen such as writing paper, soap etc. The soldiers were really pleased to see us.
I also remember (as though it was yesterday, although I was only ten) the night Bradford was bombed. Our next door neighbour had quite a large brick built air raid shelter built and we were invited to share it, along with other neighbours. A single plane droned around and around and the Odeon, Lingards and the top part of Rawson market were bombed. The pulpit from Greenfield was being stored in a mill in the Leeds Road area, owned by Mr Pollard. This was also destroyed. I can still picture the glow in the sky from the fires. A few stray bombs fell in Heaton Woods on another night, but little damage was done. We could often hear the planes which were on their way to bomb Manchester and Liverpool and I wondered if they would return to bomb us.
My father was in the A.R.P. and they used to meet in a room near the very big chimney at the Bradford Royal Infirmary. He was too old to be called up and was a buyer of wool and silk materials at Brown Muff's departmental store in Bradford. I still have the black helmet that he used to wear and my gas mask, in its battered case,that I carried it round in.
Whilst I was a pupil at Bradford Girls' Grammar School we had been issued with gas masks in 1938. A few months after the beginning of the war the school had a visit from a very large long van filled with gas. We each had to walk through the van with our gas masks on. I felt that I couldn't breath properly and was very uncomfortable and was relieved I never had to wear the mask for real. We had to carry the masks with us everywhere we went for much of the war. Half the school was evacuated to Settle and they went to Settle Girls' High School. My best friend Margaret Walker went but I stayed in Bradford. My parents would have sent me to Bentham to friends there if it became necessary later. Those who went to Settle did not stay very long but whilst they were there they started a guide company with patrols named after Ingleborough, Penygent, Whernside and the Peak. This was the guide company that I joined although for two or three years we could not go camping. Later we went to camp at Addingham and near Bolton Abbey.

Ration books were introduced and we had to give coupons for meat, butter, sugar, tea, sweets and clothing. The 大象传媒 broadcast a programme called "The Kitchen Front" where recipes for economical, healthy meals were given out. One classic time my mother listened and wrote down the recipe for Potato Pudding. My father was always a great admirer of mother's cooking but even he couldn't eat it. Next day an apology was broacast, it should have been cooked for two or three times longer than had been said in the original recipe!
We collected rose hips and acorns in the autumn. Rose hips were made into rose hip syrup and the acorns were used to feed pigs. We were pleased to be able to do something for the war effort.
I recall once being taken to the Banqueting Hall in the Town Hall (as City Hall was called then). Huge frames were set up with netting draped over them and my mother and aunt were helping quite a crowd to weave coloured rags into them; they were to be used as camouflage nets for tanks and gun installations.
Perhaps it was this sort of community spirit that got us through those days.

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