大象传媒

ANNE HARKER NEE HAWKES-REED lived in Lewes, Sussex with her twin brother. The day war broke out evacuees were posted to her village, and she was made to give away her precious toys because they had nothing.

Her brother was in the Air Force and trained in North Carolina, America, before the USA joined the war. He told her that while out working as a Bofighter pilot flying, one day he saw the Battle of the River Plate taking place below his aeroplane.

As she lived at a farm in the country, Anne did not remember any food shortages, and was too young to be in the forces. She worked on farms where there were prisoners of war - threshing corn with a Canadian peg drum .This was an early version of the combine harvester.

When the prisoners were having their meals, her mother took her indoors away from them. There were German and Italian prisoners and Anne felt the Germans worked harder than the Italians. They received food parcels from America which contained chocolate, This was coated with 'something hard' to preserve it.

Her nanny who had returned home to Switzerland, sent the family fabric so they could have new clothes made. Sometimes they got together with friends to visit the Cinema in Tetbury. Later in the war she was evacuated to Dursley as they had been spending their nights sheltering in a cellar.

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