大象传媒

I remember very well the night before D day, as on that particular evening I was caught by a policeman riding my bicycle in the wrong direction down a one-way street. Later I was fined ten shillings. I had just left the Ipswich YMCA, where I had been entertaining the troops.
I was eighteen and living at home with my parents when war was declared. At that time I was running a dancing school, and my mother was my pianist. I had many friends, one of whom I married in 1941. The wedding took place the same day as my husband left for the Middle East with the 8th army. We were not to see each other again until after the war.
As I was married, and my mother was an invalid, I did not have to join the armed forces, but remained at home to look after her. During the next two years I spent time at the YMCA and Ipswich station preparing and serving food for the troops. I also entertained them with singing and tap dancing.
On November 3rd 1943 we were bombed out of our home. The fact that we were in a cupboard under the stairs possibly saved our lives, but the shock resulted in the death of my mother on December 10th. After that Christmas my father decided to move to Derbyshire to get away from the bombing. I chose to stay in Ipswich, and went to live with friends. I was also greatly shocked by the experience, and my doctor was concerned for my health, but I became a teacher of three to five year old children at a private school. I continued working at the YMCA, and, when cycling the long journey back to where I was living, always took the short cut, as on the evening before D day. I do not think I had ever realised that it was a one-way street.
I continued living with my friends until a few months before my husband returned home. I had been fortunate in finding rooms which I was able to rent. While living with my friends, a lot of time was spent in their shelter due to bombs and doodlebugs, but we were lucky to come through the war, although my friend's husband later died.
My friend will be 93 this year, and we have never forgotten the time we spent together during those worrying times.

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