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Wartime Events

In 1939 when I was 9 years old, I lived in a terraced house in a street of 16 houses in Newport in South Wales that all had Anderson air raid shelters. One large family had a shelter made of brick. Our street was particularly vulnerable because it was between the steel works, the power station, the chemical works and the docks.

Large holes were dug in the back garden. Curved corrugated sheets were put together and there was a small entrance at ground level. There was space in bottom of shelter but it was always full of water, which we had to bale out regularly. We had two bunk beds made by Dad, which went from front to back at ground level, but they were clear of the water!! To confuse the German bombers Dad boarded over the perimeter of the top, filled the space with soil and planted snapdragons, asters, night-scented stock and a border of virginia stock!

We spent many nights in the shelter: Dad and Mam in one narrow bed, my sister and me in the other: she was 7 years old when the car began. We were very frightened when we heard the bombers going over and the whistle as bombs fell on or near the docks: they had a special sound.

Houses about 3 streets from us were bombed but we escaped. As things eased we slept under the stairs (kutch). Dad had put a small bed inside and built a bunk bed above it for Linda and me.

Dad, (just too old to go to war) was in charge of the A. R. P. (air raid precautions) and fire fighting equipment. There was great community spirit and Mam organised a raffle every week to raise money for a street party when the war ended. We had that street party!

School was not far away. For some time we did half days. In the first week we went from 8.30am—1pm and in the second from 1pm-5pm.

We had a designated area in the playground to which we hurried if the siren went (with our gas masks) and a teacher walked us to our homes.

We took our gas masks everywhere. We had regular practice in the classroom at putting them on quickly.

Our rations were carefully used and we had identity cards, which were later used as medical cards. We also had clothing coupons and cod liver oil and orange juice tokens, and sweets were on ration too.

My first child was born in 1953 and we still had ration books, even she had one. I lived in Ipswich then and my books were with Sainsbury's.

My sister and I were very lucky. Our parents made sure that she and I had a good share of the rations and clothing coupons. We had the butter - they had the margarine. It did not spoil us or make us demanding or selfish. They made many sacrifices to ease our lives.

When V. E. Day came I was 15 years old. There were great celebrations. Although as I became a teenager I was allowed to visit my friends at the other side of town, I had to be home early. That great night all rules were forgotten. I got on my 'wartime' bicycle and went to join in - nobody shouted at me the next day.

I remember my 11 plus exam. It was the custom to do your one and a half days examinations for the scholarship at the local secondary school. Instructions were given that if the siren went off we trooped out in silence so that we did not cheat. I know we did not dare break that rule!

I can see now the front page of the newspaper showing a map of the Allies pushing towards Germany.

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