大象传媒

This story was submitted to the Peoples War site by Jas from Global Information Centre Eastbourne and has been added to the website on behalf of Mrs Glossop with her permission and she fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions

I was born in 1937 in Dorking, Surrey, and my father owned a general store in North Holmwood.
My childhood was spent with the family in Dorking and I was unable to go to school until I was six years old because my school was closed down.

My father built a "dug out" in the garden and together with the family next door we used to sleep there every night and on one occasion I had to stay there for three days and three nights.

The "dug out" had to be pumped out every day because of water flooding the ground. I actually remember a plane being shot down and seeing a German pilot baling out.
On one occasion I saw three bombs fall together quite near to our shop, which broke the large plate glass window and showered our cat with glass.
One day while I was out with my father the High Street in Dorking was "straffed" and everyone had to dash into the shops for cover.

My father bred pigs, which were for use by the Ministry of Food. In the shop during the wartime food was sold was delivered in bulk and it was my job to weigh and pack the food for the customers.

We had some boys from the Canadian Army billeted on the common nearby and they used to come into the shop for food, etc, and I remember two of the boys were cousins.

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