大象传媒

The Outbreak
Even as a five year old I was aware that events were occurring that were not part of the normal life cycle. For several years the Spanish Civil War had been reported in the Newspapers and my brother had had to do some homework on it. Various activities 鈥� such as getting fitted with a gas mask, were not part of the normal daily cycle!

Sunday morning on 3 September 1939 saw us [my elder sister and brother and I] going on our normal Sunday morning visits to relatives. On this occasion however, there were troops stationed on Clairville Common, a searchlight battery with a fully armed sentry on duty.
Even to us, this seemed pretty ominous. Diverting him from his duties, he answered that unless Hitler got out of Poland very quickly, Britain and France would declare war.

We got to our first destination, close to the new Fire Station, to hear the Siren at the top of the tower commence its first warning. A long monotone that sent the senses tingling. At 11 am, the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain came on the radio to announce that we were officially at war. Adults were pretty serious but confident. We had beaten them before; we would do it again, but this time much more quickly.

That evening the family went for our customary stroll, this time with the added spectacle of searchlights sweeping the evening sky. Very impressive to a five year old, but pretty ineffective when it came to the real thing.

Education
The first impact was on our schooling. We were taught how to get on the floor under our desks, crouched, kneeling with our hands clasped behind our heads, elbows on the floor,
in the event of the air raid siren sounding. Gas mask training and testing became part of the normal school activity. Every journey, no matter how short, was made with the little cardboard box secured with string across our shoulder and chest.

Although there was no immediate aerial activity of any consequence, it was decided that we were too vulnerable in schools so we were dispersed into small groups that met mornings one week, afternoons the next, in pupil鈥檚 homes. Needless to say anything that reduced time spent at school was deemed to be a 鈥済ood thing鈥�.

Eventually workmen appeared to dig footings in the playground for our own air raid shelters. Brick built, with concrete roofs, they were lined with wooden benches. Practice evacuations were a welcome interruption to the school day and the hurricane lamp was seen to be a marvel of technology as most homes only used candles for temporary lighting

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