大象传媒

Wartime Memories by May Cassidy [nee Almond] Liverpool, Merseyside

Just after the May Blitz of 1941 I went to work one morning and the friend I worked with said 鈥� How would you like to go on holiday?鈥�
At that time we were all tired and feeling low after the Blitz and having worked on nights 7pm-7am and long days the week after that. We were all ready for a break so I said, 鈥淲here to? Let`s go.鈥�
My friend then proceeded to tell me about a nephew [ten years old] who had been evacuated to Wales, place called Aberystwyth. His mother had passed away shortly after his birth and his father who was looking after him had been called up to join the RAF. So we decided to pay the boy a visit. Another friend decided to join us and then we found out how far it was from Aberystwyth.
Off we went from Liverpool arriving at Aberystwyth at about 5pm. The trains in those days seemed to go all around the world. The windows were blacked out and you couldn`t get any food or drink.[unless you were in uniform]. When we arrived we had to catch a bus to Pontwydd.
We got off the bus and didn`t know which way to go from there.
We spotted a garage in the village so we made enquiries there.
We asked for a taxi to take us the rest of the way. The man just looked at us and said ,鈥� DO YOU KNOW THERE IS A WAR ON ?鈥� He didn`t know we were from Liverpool. Anyway there was no petrol in the area so we were told to take the next turning up the hill to the next village.
Off we went again, carrying our suitcases, puffing and blowing up the hill. A little van came up behind us and stopped. The driver enquired where we were going. 鈥淚 haven`t got room for you girls but I will take your luggage up to the village . I`ll meet you up there鈥�, he said, helpfully. We were so glad to get rid of the cases we were past caring about what happened to them.
We eventually arrived there to find the farmer waiting with the cases but as we went to thank him he said, 鈥淚`m sorry . I have an apology to make. My dog got into your carrier bag and ate your meat and sandwiches!鈥�
My friend`s mother had given us the whole week`s meat ration for herself and her husband. It was a small loin of lamb. She had thought we might arrive too late to get anything to eat!

We eventually found the farm which was to be our abode for the next two weeks. It belonged to two old ladies who spoke more Welsh than English! They looked after us very well[I think they were glad of the company]. We went on some long walks and enjoyed the peace and quiet after the noise of the Liverpool air raids. The young lad, my friend`s nephew, was very lonely and missed his school friends in Liverpool so we ended up bringing him back with us. His aunt took on the job of caring for him until his dad could return from the War.

My friends are long gone now but I often think about them. The boy will be a pensioner himself now. I hope he has had a good life. God bless him!

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