大象传媒

I am G.S.Mason :This begining starts in London and I am at School I'm living on the Isle of Dogs in the Eastend of London.
In 1938 Organisations began to get formed, as events in Europe got worse, we heard of air raids happening on towns and cities, so the A.R.P. got formed this was air raid precaution, this was the first noticeable thing that the children were aware of. It was the civilians joining as air raid wardens, rescue workers, nurses, police, firemen, fire watchers and many other sections our father joined as a warden. In out of work hours they were given training and organised to be affective if need be.

Schools were organising and finding out how many parents would let their children be sent to homes in the countryside away from the cities and bombing. Everybody got issued with Gas Masks as if war began gas may be used. Gas was used in the 1914-18 war and with many planes in use it could be terrible. As some foodstuffs got stock piled so food rationing came in force. Our father got to work with others and began to build an air raid shelter at the bottom of the garden, they dug a deep hole that an adult could stand up in below ground level, got timbers from somewhere and a tarpaulin to cover the area then put all the soil on top. This was now somewhere that us kids could find as a useful play area, some time later all households were given a steel shelter to erect in their gardens, it was called the Anderson shelter named after the Home Office minister of the day, ours fitted easily into the shelter we had dug so fitted it at one end, this was now the sleeping quarters and had no dirt or water to drop on you, we made it very comfortable. Seats were fitted and a table made, also an electric supply put in. We were cramped if all in it but could get comfortable, at this time it was not in use as it was built for, as nothing was going on

In 1939 it really got serious my uncles got called up into the Army, factories began war work, making ammunitions, airplanes, women began to replace the men in the factories. About a quarter of a mile away, just behind Glengall Road school was a place called the Mudchute here they put some anti-aircraft guns, and two searchlights. In the parks and any open places the R.A.F. came with Barrage Balloons, these were things about the size of two houses filled with a gas and attached by wire ropes to trailers, they could be and were moved around a bit till they found permanent sites. These Balloons in themselves were a danger in a thunderstorm, if hit by lightning they burst into flames and crash down.

Even now I saw or felt no fear of the pending situation it would not be long before I was old enough to leave school and get a job. It was during the summer holidays that we felt involved more although my father was air-raid warden and was always at some exercise or other nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Now came instructions from the school that my sister and two younger brothers who my parents agreed could be evacuated were to assemble at the school with some clothing and gas masks, they were to be sent to some destination in the country that was thought safe if bombing should happen. The London Transport put on buses to take the children to the railway stations, as you may guess many worries and tears from parents, the children were just bewildered. My sister was eleven and the two brothers eight and nine.

Their journey to an unknown destination was finally Long Hanborough, this village near Woodstock with Blenheim Palace as neighbours, and in the county of Oxfordshire. This was about 55-60 miles from our doorstep and with the speed of road transport then it was two hours away. After a period parents did start to visit at weekends but of course at a cost in many ways, first was financial but also the children would get unsettled and wanted to come home. The war of course had not yet begun.

I think it was late June or July in school holiday鈥檚 evacuation happened. I did go on a visit later, a bus trip got arranged by someone, so off went many families, with children who had not been registered to go and to see the situation at first hand, on the way home we had a crash in a fog at about nine o鈥檆lock at night, no serious injuries but all shook up, it was on the main road called Western Ave., help soon arrived and another bus got us back to home. This being a Sunday night and and we did think it would be some time before any one might come, we were very happy at the outcome.

The Civil Defense were now very active it covered many departments other than the A.R.P. Leaflets were be distributed to cover food in war time these came out in stages how to save things, how to make some foods go a long way if you did this and that, rationing, how much you could have and who could have it, this is all well documented. People ate things that you might never think of putting on the table before and nothing got wasted. Coupons were issued for clothing, petrol, sweets, and identity cards for all; a real buzz was all about you.

People were moved to war work and could be sent all over the country to take up jobs as and when required.

All Police stations Fire stations and other important buildings had been given the protection of sand bags, big water tanks now got placed at special points and filled with water, all the house windows were being given strips of sticky paper to stop them getting shattered from any blasts, and shutters and heavy curtains got installed to prevent the lights being seen after dark, this and all street lighting being turned off made the nights very dark if no moonlight. Police and the wardens would patrol the streets to check the Blackout as it was called; they soon knocked on doors if any lights were showing through cracks at sides of curtains Etc.

On Sunday 3rd of September 1939 it was stated a special announcement was to be made on the radio by the Prime Minister, all the country were alerted to this, we sat and he gave an explanation of things and the final words were 鈥淲e are now in a state of war with Germany鈥�, no sooner than he said that, the air raid warnings sounded, everyone went to the shelters, looking and listening for airplanes, our father as air raid warden had to report to the wardens post that was in the next street, this left just mother and youngest sister and myself in the shelter, dinner had been got ready and waiting to be cooked, what was we going to do?. However it was not too long before the All Clear sounded and back in doors we gathered wondering if anywhere had been bombed, nowhere had.

Now every thing was real, not practice and training, everyone鈥檚 mind was concentrated. As days came and went, air raid warnings sounded, we began to get organized, we could see the Barrage Balloons that would give us a forewarning, they would only be so far off the ground at stand by, as they got to the next height they were on amber, next to full height it was red, not long before the air raid siren went off. So it was you heard said balloons going up, fill jugs with fresh water get gear ready to go to the shelter, after dark you just waited for the sirens to sound. As the months past nothing happened by way of actual planes coming over London so going down the shelters stopped, we would wait and listen in doors or in the back yard. If away from home just make our way back in case. On one occasion I was out on my bike and over the river and beyond Greenwich when the warning sounded, I could not get back as the entrance to the foot tunnel got closed on the sound of air raids so never got back till the all clear had sounded, I was in trouble and it never happened again
To Be Continued

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