大象传媒

Evacuation Memories of Pamela Locke (Now Self)

I was just twelve years old about two weeks previously and had a much loved sister of five. For some reason which I didn't think about (or remember now) we were on holiday from school although it was not the official summer holidays. On Wednesday, 19th June, we were spending the day with my grandmother (mother's mum) who lived near the Vale Church so we played on the Common.

I seem to think it was about 4 p.m. when Dad came rushing out in the car saying that he and Mum had to be at school at 7 p.m. and he took us home. I can't remember being particularly perturbed at the time but I think Mum and Dad took my sister and me home and went to the school (which was Amherst) and left me to look after my little sister (unheard of!) I remember we were in our dressing gowns and ready for bed and the 'phone went quite often.

Mum must have stayed up all night packing our clothes. They packed Mavis' in a cardboard suitcase which had held her doll. This was because it was lightweight. I remember saying to my mother that I wished I had never been born and she said 'never say that'.

Mum and Dad took us, together with our suitcases, up to school for 4 a.m. and then we were bussed to the White Rock. I remember sitting on the White Rock for hours and eventually we boarded a ship called the "Antwerp" (incidentally I saw the "Antwerp" at the Hook of Holland in 1946/47). I can't remember much about the trip to Weymouth. I think I must have blocked it out, but I can see my sister and I sitting on the deck with children being seasick around us.

I can also vaguely remember being in this cinema and having our hair examined for lice, which upset me.

We were put on a train, together with our friends - I don't know how long we were travelling but eventually we ended up at Camperhill Church Hall in Glasgow. We slept on camp beds and the people who met us were so kind. I know that I didn't let my small sister go to the lavatory by herself because I had promised my mother I wouldn't let her out of my sight.

Now-a-days it fills me with horror at the thought of my twelve year old grandson being responsible for his five year old cousin al though I am sure he would cope very well.
Two days before we left Guernsey I had fallen over and scraped my elbow. My mother had put me a bread poultice and bandage. I can't remember but my little sister tells me that I was delirious and had to stay on the camp bed for two or three days until the elbow improved.

Mavis and I weren't 'put up' for fostering because Dad had decreed we should go to Chesterfield in Derbysh1re where his step-sister lived and he and Mum would come to fetch us. However, the Scottish people were marvellous and washed our clothes.

I can remember being ashamed that Mavis and I were so grubby, having had a most particular mother. We went to the public baths each week where I made sure Mavis was clean. However, I was covered with shame when it was discovered she had
nits - something which had never happened before.

We were in Scotland for four weeks and for the last week Mavis and 1, together with a Welsh girl called Avril, were billeted on two Scottish school teachers and their mother. Mavis thlnks we had to climb up some steps to the bed which must have been on a dais. What struck me and I have always remembered was the bath which was deep and had a metal sort of surround with spray holes in it which sprayed us like a shower.

It was arranged that we should travel to Chesterfield with Miss Deare (a Guernsey helper) and her mother, who were golng south. On the last day we were at our billet the man frightened me but I didn't know why then and I climbed over the back of the settee to get away from him. I realise now why I must have felt frightened. I said, as we boarded the train, "I' m glad to leave here". I must have embarrassed the Deares, because Miss Deare said "Arn't children ungrateful". It wasn't that at all and I have always wanted to tell Miss Deare why I said that, but I don't know if they ever came back to Guernsey.. ..

My aunt met us at the station in Chesterfield. She was much older than my father - in fact, as my grandmother had married twice she was old enough to be his mother. I realise now that it wasn't fair to have two children foisted on you when you were in your fifties and one married daughter and another of 16 who was at school. My uncle was a Jerseyman and earned very little money as a cooper and there were no children's allowances at that time. I am sorry to say that I was ashamed because I had to wear my cousin's clothes cut down but my aunt did her best. Mum had sent our 'best' coats to Chesterfield before the Occupation came and we had to wear our 'best' coats to school. I reallse what a waste of money 'best' clothes were now. My aunt said she wondered why our mother had sent white underwear, but that was what we wore in the summer.

The following Monday my aunt took us to school - Mavis was in the Infant Dept., and I was in the 'big' school which was very different from what we were used to in Guernsey. The classes were mixed and we were called by our surnames! The children all spoke differently - they had two languages - one for school (which wasn't too difficult to understand) but in the playground they had a very strong dialect and my sister and I had difficulty in understanding what was said. They thought we spoke 'posh' but I made a friend whom I still have to this day. When I think about it now, we were very stoical and accepting of our situation.

That first winter was very cold with lots of snow and my sister and I weren't used to snow and we had no wellington boots - they were left behind and there wasn't enough money to buy us any.

We l1ved in a tiny house with two rooms upstairs and two downstairs. There was no bathroom and the lavatory was in
the back yard. My aunt kept it very nicely - it was difficult to keep things clean in Chesterfield which was a coal-mining and manufacturing town.

The neighbours were wonderful to us as they knew our parents from the holidays spent in Derbyshire.

I can't decide whether my uncle was a bad-tempered man or if he was ill in some way. Maybe it was because we were living in this small house. He was very kind at other times but had to work so hard.

One neighbour gave me a bathing suit which I used until we came home to Guernsey. We used to go swimming with the school in the local baths and I thought I would sink the first time I went because someone told me that fresh water was not buoyant!

I wasn't very happy in Chesterfield and many times swallowed hard so as not to let anyone see me cry. When my sister and I were in bed (where we went fairly early) I used to imagine the footsteps I could hear in the 'yard' were my parents who had escaped from the Germans! I can remember hugging my little sister tightly because she was the only thing I had to love.

I seemed to catch everything in Chesterfield although in Guernsey I was pretty healthy. It must have been a great trial for my aunt especially as my little sister had exzema.

After about two years my father's 'real' sister asked if we could go to live w1th her. I now suspect it was because the Chesterfield aunt was unwell. Th1s aunt was my favourite aunt and it was almost like living at home. I already had four cousins there so it was like having a party every day and we were much happier. This was Bridgwater in Somerset. One day my aunt said she would take us to see the sea so we all set off with our bread and jam and lemonade made of lemonade powder but when we arrived at Burnham on Sea the tide was out - so we didn't see the sea!!!!

Our lives were much happier in Bridgwater although there was very little money and when a parcel came from Canada it was / 'first up best dressed'. I must pay tribute to our Aunt and Uncle because they made our lives as normal as they could and we were a very happy family.

My sister and I came home in August 1945 and saw our parents at the Weighbridge. I cannot quite understand my feelings at the time - I had gone away as a twelve-year old and came home as a seventeen year old. It was lovely to see the sea and go to the beaches again but our friends and family were left in Bridgwater and Mavis and I missed our big family. I think I felt sort of 'un-trusting' and yet our parents couldn't do enough for us and kept peeping around our bedroom door to make sure we were still there. After six months in Guernsey, I, with another friend, left Guernsey and joined the W.R.N.S. I realise now how selfish I was. My father has often said since that he always regretted letting us be evacuated, but I think they should have come too. I am glad we went to England because I think my sister and I were very spoiled children and very much loved and we learned that we had been privileged to have such good parents.

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