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This story was submitted to the People’s War site by Bill Ross of the ‘Action Desk — Sheffield’ Team on behalf of Mrs MM Hudson, (Nee Shaw) and has been added to the site with her permission. Mrs. Hudson fully understands the site's terms and conditions.
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I was nearly 14 years old when the war was declared, and we had to go to school in someone’s front room. My mother had just got a new house with a shop as payment for looking after the wife having a baby.

We lived at the top of Preswick Street and when we went into the air raid shelter, we could see the gas works at Neepsend, and I can remember it being bombed and lighting the sky like daylight. My friend, Joan Martin and I, applied to join the land army, but I did not pass my medical, so I stayed at home and looked after the shop, and every week, got everybody’s rations who was registered with us.

I met my husband in Hillborough Park, but it did not last long, so my next boyfriends were Derick Well and Jim Smith. Derick was in the army and I was going to get engaged when he came home on leave, but one day I was serving in the shop, and Cyril Glover came in and asked if I would go to the pictures with Arthur Hudson. I asked my mother and she said yes, just as a friend, and that started a friendship for life.

As Arthur went to Cairn on D-Day, and then he asked me if I would get married when he came home. I got married on June 23 1945, and now have two sons Arthur and George, and their lovely families. Arthur passed away 13 years ago this August, and I am 80 years old and I would not change my life at all. God Bless my father, mother and brother George.

Pr-BR

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