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Nan's Memories of Childhood

How old were you when the war started.

I was 7yrs and 9 months old.

When did you hear the war had started?

As the war was imminent, our parents had switched on the radio to listen to the Prime Minister who was to broadcast to the nation at 11am Sunday morning the 3rd September 1939.

What was it like growing up in the war?

We didn't have TV's or computers, only radios which were not up to the same standards as today. We always played outside - Skipping, Hide and Seek, Hopscotch and Shuttle Cock.

What jobs did your Mother and Father do?

My father was a milkman with a horse and cart, it was his own business. The milk was in large milk churns and people used to leave jugs on the windowsill outside with a saucer on top of the jug. My mother used to help him.

What was it like at school?

The war broke out during the summer holidays, and when the schools were due to return, they were closed because there were no shelters at the schools. Instead, there was the Home Service. This took place 2 mornings or afternoons a week in the front rooms of one of the children's houses. In Crookes, our front room was used for this.

Once the shelters had been built, the children returned to school. At school we used to have air raid drill. We had to line up in the school yard and march into a big air raid shelter that had been built there. We also had gas mask drill.

Sometimes, when we were in the school yard at Crookes Endowed, a convoy of Americans would pass by the school and throw bubble gum over the wall for the children.

What was the food like?

Food was rationed because of shortages and we had to queue at the local shops for it. Eggs were scarce so they brought dried egg powder on the market. It wasn't as bad as it might sound - in fact we took rather a liking to it. We were lucky we kept hens, so we were alright for eggs. We also kept pigs so we were alright for meat and bacon but we had to give up our meat tokens, which was fair and to be expected. Fresh fruit was scarce and if a shop managed to get some, word soon went round and people rushed round to queue for some.

What sort of clothes did you wear?

Girls didn't wear trousers or jeans (jeans had not been sold here in those days to my knowledge). We wore dresses, blouse and skirt or shorts. For school I wore a gymslip and blouse with a school tie. I got my first pair of trousers when I was fourteen, after the war. Women painted carrot juice on their legs and drew a black line down the middle at the back because there were no stockings.

How did you manage with clothing rations?

We had to "Make-Do-And-Mend" our old clothes. When I joined Guides, my uniform had to be made from blackout cloth which was not rationed. I am third from left standing in the picture. The field we were in was on Lydgate Lane at Crookes and was used for a barrage balloon.

We had parachute silk underwear if we could find any old parachutes. After the war, parachute silk could be bought at the "Rag and Tag" market in Sheffield.

What were the main things that were rationed?

Lots of everyday food was rationed. Some foods like tinned foods, sweets, milk, eggs, meat, and tea could only be bought from the black market or with vouchers. Later in the war bread was rationed. "Fish and Chips", potatos, and carrots were not rationed. However cloth was rationed so men couldn't have trouser turn-ups. Skirts were shorter too so less cloth was used. You needed a special visa to get furniture.

Where did you go when there was an air raid?

When we had an air raid, we would go down and sit in our cellar which had been reinforced because we had nowhere to have an Anderson shelter which had to be sunk in the ground and covered in soil or sandbags. We only had a cobblestone yard. There were tunnels in between the cellars of the houses so if we needed to get out we could escape through next doors cellar.

What did you do to pass the time in the shelters?

We used to sing wartime songs such as "Run Rabbit Run" and "Siegfried Line" quite a lot. We also played cards and dominoes.

What was it like to wear a gas mask? Did you need to use one?

They were not very nice to wear but we had to have practices to make sure we knew what to do. To make sure they were working correctly they were periodically inspected. Thankfully we never needed to use them.

Did any bombs land near you?

One night during an air raid, we were sat in the cellar and my Dad got us singing "There'll Always Be an England", when all at once there was an almighty bang, and we all shut up. We found out next day the Germans had dropped a land mine on a house in Springvale Road, Crookes.

NOTE: I found the words to "There'll Always Be an England" in a library book. The song was composed by Canadian Ross Parker with words by the British songwriter Hugh Charles in 1939. The most popular version was sung by Vera Lynn.

There'll Always Be an England

I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen,
I give you a toast, ladies and gentlemen,
"May this fair land we love so well in dignity and freedom dwell"
Tho' worlds may change and go awry while there is still one voice to cry.

There'll always be an England while there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England while there's a busy street;
Wherever there's a turning wheel a million marching feet.

Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you?
Surely you're proud, shout it aloud,
Britons awake,

The Empire too, we can depend on you,
Freedom remains, these are the chains
Nothing can break.

There'll always be an England and England shall be free,
If England means as much to you as England means to me.

There'll always be an England while there's a country lane,
Wherever there's a cottage small beside a field of grain.
There'll always be an England while there's a busy street;
Wherever there's a turning wheel a million marching feet.

Red, white and blue, what does it mean to you?
Surely you're proud, shout it aloud,
Britons awake,

The Empire too, we can depend on you,
Freedom remains, these are the chains
Nothing can break.

There'll always be an England and England shall be free,
If England means as much to you as England means to me.

What did you do in your spare time?

As I've said before I played outside a lot, went to the pictures, visited relatives and my Mum used to take me blackberrying when they were in season.

How was your social life restricted?

Transport was affected by the shortage of petrol. Buses stopped at about 9 p.m. and there were barely any cars. The trams were able to run later because they ran on electricity. The train system was affected as well. Trains had to pull on to side cuttings to give army transports right of way which meant that train services were late sometimes. Walking out in the dark was very difficult and dangerous because drivers couldn't see you.

What are your memories of wartime entertainment?

At the beginning of the war, all cinemas were closed and there was a ban on large gatherings which meant no concerts, dances or football matches. This did not last very long.

At the cinema there were several shows or news items at one showing. During an air raid, you could choose whether to stay and watch the rest of the show or go home to your air raid shelter. During the intermissions, live singers would perform on the stage singing their own songs and sometimes war songs that the troops sang.

Was anyone in your family involved in the forces?

My brother Ron was in the RAF. He was based in South Africa. One night, when we were in the cellar, we heard heavy boots in the house, and then coming down the cellar steps. We thought that the Germans had invaded and we were terrified, but when the door opened, it was Ron who stepped through the door. He was back in this country and had been given 24 hours leave.

Joan, who later married Ron shortly after the war, worked in the Admiralty as a telephone operator. Later on, while she was still at the Admiralty, she managed to get hold of some of the Irish Linen that the blueprints had been on. These had to be boiled to remove the plans from the linen, and that was what my underskirt for my wedding dress was made from in 1951 as things were still on ration. My cousins Stan and Geoff were in the army, and Geoff was posted in Reykjavik, Iceland.

How did you hear the war was over how did you react?

I was in the Crookes Picture Palace when they stopped the film and announced over a loudspeaker that the war was over. Everyone stood up and cheered and started dancing in the aisles. No one wanted to see the end of the film everybody went out onto the streets dancing, singing, clapping hands and cheering. It was marvellous to be part of it.

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