大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Age Concern Salford on behalf of Joan Vickers and has been added to the site with her permission. Joan understands the site's terms and conditions

Typed written memory 鈥� Joan Vickers.

Joan lived at 4 Oliver Street, Lower Openshaw, Manchester. Joan is now 81 years of age.

I was 16 years of age not a care in the world, enjoying life to the full, everything was rosy, good parents, good home and nothing to worry about. Suddenly on the 5th May 1939 life was about to change as Germany declared war on England, which was to last until 3rd Sept 1945. Air raid shelters began to spring up and were being built in streets, back yards and gardens to accommodate people if there was an air raid. People were issued with gas masks which you had to keep on your person and take everywhere with you in case of emergency (of gas).

Food then started to be rationed and everybody was issued with a ration book. Food was very sparse 鈥� a small amount per week per person of what was available. Cigarettes, clothes and stockings and lots of other things you had to queue for and if lucky you might get something!

Then there was the blackout. No lights on in streets, roads or anywhere. We had to blacken out windows and doors with black curtains or shutters and we had wardens going round to see no lights were showing anywhere on account of air raids.

One of the most important things was, all men were available to be called up into the military service from 17 years of age upwards for army, navy or airforce duties. All the women were also moblilised as well and had to join the services or get jobs pertaining to the war effort. Some people were excluded; women with young children, the disabled and the elderly. This was called conscription. I had to go and work in an aircraft factory which I did. The firm was called A. V. Wroe and was in Ashton-U-Lyne which was a long way from where I lived. I had to be out for 6.30am and started work at 7.30am and worked long hours. We had two shifts, one on days and one on nights monthly. We worked on the plane called the Lancaster Bomber. One night a week some people came into the works to entertain us in our lunch break, they were called E.N.S.A. and sometimes we had a dance in the canteen.

My first big fright was the first time I heard the sirens. We were all in bed and my mother came into the bedroom and said 鈥渃ome on get up quickly there is an air raid鈥�. We rushed down to the shelter in our night clothes and shoes and just a coat and we could hear the planes overhead. They dropped some incendiary bombs which light the place up and then dropped bombs of destruction. This was the routine for many times to come which was very frightening.

A lot of children were evacuated and went to live in the country with different people away from the big cities, from London, Manchester, Salford and all over. There was a lot of weeping from children and parents when they were split up, but parents were at liberty to see them and most of the children liked when they got settled in their new homes for a period of time.

We also had good times and the women I worked with were fantastic and I shall never forget them. We had an occasional day off and my friends and I used to go to the Plaza in Manchester and met some nice boys in the service and there was a lot of American soldiers also who were very good company and we got on very well.

After a lot of bombings and lost life, eventually the war came to an end and the war with Japan ended two years later. There was a lot of rejoicing and parties in streets and everywhere and the homecoming of our brave lads who fought and gave their lives for us.

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