大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Christopher Hall for Kent Libraries and Archives and Canterbury City Council Museums on behalf of Jean Parker and has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My parents then decided that we should have a Morrison shelter. At the bottom of our stairs to the left was a tack room and this is where our shelter was. Peggy, Tommy, me, and sometimes my mother, would sleep in there. One funny incident happened about this time. Peggy always liked high-heeled shoes. The siren went, I started running down the stairs as Peggy picked Tommy up. She was wearing some new high heels she had just bought. I had just reached the bottom stair when I heard a crash. I turned and saw Tommy flying through the air. I put out my arms and caught him. Peggy was sitting half way down the stairs. She had tripped in the new shoes. She took them off and threw them into the yard and the air was blue. It was quite funny really, and we had a good laugh.
Christmas 1942 passed quietly as usually. Mother managed to give us a good Christmas. Bill came home and brought a girlfriend. She was in the WAAF and her name was Joan. He was to marry her later and they had four children.
In January 1943 I was attending school at Christ Church, but there was only one class and children of all ages attended it. It must have been quite a task for the teachers teaching 5 to 15 year olds in one room. I was anxious to leave and get a job, but I had to stay on until I was 15.
My sister Peggy was working in a hairdressers and my mother used to look after the baby. Sometimes I would take him out.
In that year my brother Bill and his girlfriend were married. A year later they too had a baby boy. At that time I was nearly fifteen and one day, it must have been about 1944, I decided to go down and meet my sister from work. The new baby was in its pram and Tommy was walking by then, so he was trotting beside me. At the time, my sister had come home a different way and as time was getting short, I decided to turn round in Bouverie Road West and walk back, when all of a sudden I saw a plane diving towards us and to my horror it started machine gunning. I pushed the pram against the wall and laid on top of Tommy. It seemed as though it went on for ages, but it could have been only a few seconds. Thank goodness we were alright.
Shortly after this I left school and worked in a tailors in Manor Road, just around the comer from where I lived, so it only took me five minutes to walk to work. My first wage was five shillings a week (today 25p).
Round the comer was a fruit shop and I got quite friendly with the girl in there, another Jean. She told me that she belonged to the Junior Women's Air Corp (we called it the Jacks) and would I like to join? This I did and had a great time. We learnt first aid, cookery , marching and map reading. We were also made to march behind the Air Training Corp. This was a boys branch and where I first met Roy, my future husband. He was in the ATC Band and played the bugle. We liked each other and started a relationship.
I am getting near to the end of my story. As you will know, the war ended in 1945. That day I will never forget. Bells were chiming, hooters blowing, people were almost
dancing in the streets, lights came on and even strangers were shaking hands; it was wonderful.

I have put this down as a record for my Grandchildren so they will know what it was like to be a child in that time. I hope they never find out for real.

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