大象传媒

I was born the month after the war started. My sister was just coming uo to 10 years old.
As I was too young to wear a gas mask I had to be put into an oval, sealed enclosure which had to be pumped so I could get air. In case anything happened to my mother my sister was taught how to do this. She certainly had to grow up quickly!
When we were eventually evacuated to Bury St. Edmunds in Suffolk my sister made friends with a girl from work who eventually became her sister in law. So in the face of adversity my sister found happiness! My sister's sister in law met an American soldier ( a lovely gentle man) and when the war ended they were married and she went back to live with him in America.
While we were evacuated a house a few doors away from our house was hit and the family killed! Our house was damaged by the blast and we had to move into temporary accommodation until our house was repaired. Fortunately, my mother was unhurt except for a few scratches but very shaken. She was sleeping in my sister's and my bedroom while we were away which was also very fortunate as the front bedroom of the house was severely hit by the blast.
The school field run at the bottom of our garden and I can remember there was great excitement as a German airmen on his parachute landed in the school field and my mother had some of the parachute fabric by which being a dress maker she made me a lovely dress!
By the time I started school the war was nearly over but some of our lessons were still spent in shelters.
I still remeber my mother queing for bananas and my sister going without her egg so I could have it as I was so young, which she did readily. My sister isn't too good at the moment but by putting this down has helped a bit.

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