大象传媒

Here are a few of the memories of a young person growing up during WW2

I can remember well hearing the news on the radio and my parents discussing that the prospects of us going to war with Germany looked very likely. I was just 9 years of age.

It had been the topic of conversation at school, on the radio and on Pathe news at the cinema where I had seen pictures of the China war showing people running down bomb-torn streets carrying all their possessions. This caused me many nights of tears and fear. Was this going to happen to us?

When war was declared no-one knew what the future held for us. Gas masks and identity cards were provided for everyone and many of my friends鈥� fathers and brothers were called up to go into the armed forces. My father failed the medical for the armed forces but was conscripted into the local ARP and ambulance service.

The first major thing to happen that I can remember was the evacuation of the children from London. People in Eastbourne were asked to take the London refugees into their homes and my parents took in 5 Jewish children. I can still remember their names 鈥� Greta, Rita, Alfred, Cissie and Rhoda. We local children shared our schools with the refugee children. We had our morning lessons in the school and our afternoon lessons in the church hall, so that the refugee children could use the school. This worked fine and we all got on very well. I sometimes wonder how my parents managed with seven children and two adults in a three bedroom house, but they did! Bath and meal times were chaotic but I never heard them complain. They loved having a large family. With the fall of France and the threat of invasion on the south coast, the children from London were taken to a safer place. I never knew where they went and I never heard from them again although I often thought about them. I still do.

By then food rationing was in full force and everyone grew vegetables in their gardens. We also kept chicken so we could have eggs. As a special treat my dad very often came home with a wild rabbit so we could enjoy a lovely rabbit stew. Delicious! Our local recreation playground was full of lovely wheat. Mum always insisted that we ate all our dinner as 鈥渢he Merchant Navy had risked their lives to put food on our table鈥� so of course, even if we didn鈥檛 like what we were given, we ate it all. In fact I still always clear my plate. No matter how old you are, you have to do as your mother told you, don鈥檛 you?

At that time my father went to Newhaven to give medical assistance to the wounded from Dunkirk and get them to local hospitals. On his return he insisted that my sister, Mother and I evacuate to a safer area as he was sure that England was about to be invaded. Only one week later and having to leave my father in Eastbourne, the three of us and my grandmother evacuated to Oswestry in Shropshire. I remember the journey was horrendous. We had to travel via London and they were getting heavy air raids. One of my memories of that journey is of a soldier who kindly gave me a drink of water out of his flask. We had been in the tunnel of the London underground for ages and the water from his flask was nectar to me. I wonder who that solder was? His humour kept me laughing in a traumatic situation. Did he survive the war? I sincerely hope so.

On our arrival in Oswestry the billeting officer (Mr. Jones) met us and found us accommodation with a Mrs Jones (every one in Oswestry seem to be named Jones!). We had two rooms in her house and the four of us were happy there. School was good and I made many new friends. One I remember was named Dylis. I can鈥檛 remember her surname but I suspect it was Jones! Nearly all the children spoke with a strong Welsh accent. I can remember in needlework class when we were knitting socks for solders, the Headmaster came in the classroom and remarked how nice my socks were. Did I feel proud!

After about six months Mum decided to go back home for a few days to see Dad and left us in Owestry with our grandmother. On her return she said that several of our neighbours had returned home as the threat of invasion had receded, so home we went. It was wonderful!
Unfortunately all the schools were closed. Lovely I thought for the first few weeks but then it got boring as you couldn鈥檛 go far from home for the fear of an air raid. Later we could go to school for an hour and a half every other day but the hit-and-run air strikes were getting more frequent which meant we spent a lot of time in air raid shelters whilst at school. On a number of occasions we were caught in a raid on our way to or from school.
My Mum became worried as my health was causing concern and our education was practically non-existent. My sister and I never went upstairs to bed - we slept in our table shelter which was in the dining room - but mum and dad slept upstairs. It may seem strange but the only time I felt safe was when I was with my Mum and when our two fighter planes were overhead. We called them Gert and Daisy. I think they were spitfires.

Another story in my memory is the time I was ill with bronchitis and I was in the table shelter bed. Four of my friends had come to visit me when a hit-and-run attack occurred. My mum pushed my friends into the shelter but then there was only room for her head in the shelter . The bomb landed close to us and it blew all the soot down our chimney and Mum was covered in soot! It caused a great laugh.

My Auntie Eva and her two children had been evacuated to a village called Bishops Cleeve, near Cheltenham, and she offered to have us stay with her. This meant that we would be safe and Mum could still be at home to support Dad. This worked well as Mum and Dad could visit us regularly and we were very happy with my Aunt. We could play in the fields without worry and I felt relaxed and could enjoy school.

My Aunt鈥檚 husband was solder fighting the Japanese in India and Burma and I can remember the great excitement when we had a letter from him.

How pleased we all were when the D-day landings were made. This meant we could all go back home and school was almost back to normal, although we still did mornings only.

Hitler still had one more go at us with his flying bombs (V1 and V2 rockets or Doodle Bugs) which again meant we had to sleep in the table shelter. The noise these bombs made was very frightening but you knew if the noise stopped the bomb was coming down and you had to take cover. Although you were pleased if it carried on, you knew it was then heading for someone else. Thanks to the allied forces, France was soon once again free so the launching of the V1 and V2 rockets ceased and our lives began to return to normal. By this time I had reached the age of 14 years, left school and was working in a small sub post office where I remained until my marriage.

At last the war was over and how we celebrated! We had a big street party and, in view of the food rationing, it was surprising how much food appeared on the table. The mayor of Eastbourne came to our party and everyone thought my Mum was very brave because she kissed him. How daring was that to kiss the mayor!

The war is something I will never forget, especially when I walk past the spot where I once laid in the gutter and heard machine gun bullets from an enemy aircraft overhead landing close to me. It鈥檚 silly I know, but I always say 鈥淗ello gutter, thank you for saving me鈥� as I pass it!

My Dad had been under lot of stress in his job searching for survivors in bomb sites and removing bodies of innocent children, babies and the elderly. I once overheard him crying whilst telling my Mum of a baby鈥檚 body that had been pulled out of the rubble. He never really recovered from the stress and after the war he died of a heart attack at the age of 54.

I could write so much more about my war experiences but just a few memories are the friendliness of neighbours and friends, no-one ever locked their doors (so if an air raid happened while you were out you could always shelter in anyone鈥檚 home). We shared each others joys and sorrows. I remember when our neighbour Mrs. Mills received that dreaded telegram saying that her husband was missing presumed killed. Everyone in the street was in mourning for her loss and gave her continuous support.
Another Dad in the street previously reported missing had been traced in a German prison camp and was well.

The war ruined my childhood life and my education. Do I feel resentful? No, because I learnt comradeship, value of life and family, and love, all of which I hope I have passed on to my family.

Do I hate Germans? Again the answer is no. They also suffered as I did and most of them did not want a war. It was then, as it is now, just a few power-hungry, greedy people.

Most of our young people will make good citizens but please do not forget what we had to give up for you and please, give us the respect I think we deserve.

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