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This story was submitted to the Peoples War Site by June Ogonovsky from Sidley UK On-line Centre a volunteer from ����ý Southern Counties Radio and has been added to the Website on behalf of Astrid Amos with her permission and she fully understands the site’s terms and conditions.

I was born and brought up in Downham, near Catford, SE London. The youngest of a family of eight. My Mum said I was too young to be evacuated, so stayed at home with them. My Dad fought in WW1 and was in the Home Guard during WW2.

I had four brothers and three sisters. The eldest brother was in the Air Force stationed at Biggin Hill as an Aircraft Mechanic. The second was in the Paratroops and was landed by glider in Normandy on D Day. He will never talk of his experiences. The third brother was in the Fleet Air Arm and was often AWOL and Military Police were always coming to our house to collect him. My eldest sister was in the Land Army. My fourth brother and two sisters were evacuated.

I still recall the “doodlebugs” coming over. One day I went shopping with Mum and one came over, Mum put me over the hedge and then lay on top of me with a bag of empty bottles over her head. How could that have saved her?

We had an air raid shelter outside our house and I with other local children, who were at home, put on a show for anyone who wanted to come. We scrubbed two of the rooms and put on a song and dance show. We charged a penny entrance and gave them lemonade to drink. I still remember the kids who came. We made a little money and bought lemonade and sweets, which at the time were rationed, we had to ask our Mums if we could get them. You didn’t just take money and go and spend it, permission was always asked and the rules obeyed.

We lived near the railway and in those days goods were sent by rail over the country. The depot was very large and covered a lot of ground. The German planes flew over nightly trying to hit the Goods Depot and bring the country to a halt. Consequently there were many casualties and homes were razed to the ground. I still can’t understand why I wasn’t frightened, but I don’t remember being scared. We still went to school, but I do remember the horror of the school that was bombed during the lunchtime and the children and teachers who were killed or seriously injured. There’s a memorial garden to them in the cemetery and whenever I go to visit my family graves I like to remember them also.

The war finally ended and we were all home again. I was very fortunate none of my family was killed or injured during the war. My Grandparents were bombed out and came to live with us. I can still see my Grandmother — grey hair tied back in a bun, long black dress and black apron. No teeth except one in the front top gum. She always had a tin of snuff in her pocket and always had kippers with jam on for Saturday tea!

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