- Contributed byÌý
- WMCSVActionDesk
- People in story:Ìý
- Joyce Christine Hawker /David Hawker
- Location of story:Ìý
- Kingsbury/Warwickshire
- Background to story:Ìý
- Civilian
- Article ID:Ìý
- A4804445
- Contributed on:Ìý
- 05 August 2005
This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Deena Campbell from WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Mrs Joyce Hawker and has been added to the site with her permission Mrs Hawker fully understands the sites terms and conditions.
I was born in 1938 the year before World War 2 broke out so the first 7 years of my life were spent in a constant state of tension. Even though I was far too young to fully understand the importance and seriousness of what was happening. I caught the atmosphere from my parents and others around me. This was heightened when my father left to join the army.
I lived in Kingsbury (a village 10 miles north of Birmingham) I can remember the panic in the community when a bomb intended for Hams Hall Power Station for the city, landed on a row of houses resulting in a loss of life.
Something most spectacular happened when I was around 3 years old in 1941. An enemy fighter plane a Heinkel, crash landed in a field 100 yards from our house; I recall crowds of people flocking around to see this — it was a big event for the villagers! Suddenly I found myself being lifted up by my father and there I was standing on the wings of this enemy plane! I have a clear memory of looking down into his face wondering what was going on. I have no idea what happened to the pilot by the way.
My husband also clearly recalls being taken to the cinema in Birmingham seeing the news readers depicting what was happening in the concentration camps….the horror of starving prisoners, the gas ovens and the mass graves etc.
There are lots of stories of depravation, food and clothing in particular and because we had no imported fruit I had a problem after the war. I didn’t know what bananas or oranges were, they were unrecognisable to me so I refused to touch them. This created an aversion to most fruit and I was only able to conquer this as an adult. So the effects of the war reverberated for years no doubt still do for many people.
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