大象传媒

1938. A year before the war, gas masks were given out at schools.
Anderson shelters were built in nearly every garden, trenches were dug in the local park for use during air raids.

I was an evacuee from Portsmouth to Hambleton, 9 miles away. An elderly couple housed us and another child was sent to them. 60 boys from our school and only seven at were at Hambleton two years later. All the others were returned to their families. Although we were nine miles out we were still kept awake during air raids by the bombs. At first we shared the school with the village. Mornings only or afternoons only.

I was part of the school-age evacuation and my Mum and brother and sister were evacuated on Saturday to the same village. After a few weeks we were eventually together. Some of our teachers came with us on that Friday including the Headmaster.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Colin Martin and has been added to the site with his permission. Colin Martin fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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