大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War website by a volunteer from CSV Berkshire on behalf of Ann Shorter and has been added to the site with her permission. Ann Shorter fully understands the site鈥檚 terms and conditions.

War! What鈥檚 war?

I was two years old when the war started and lived with my parents in Norbury, south west London. I distinctly remember my daddy running with me in his arms to the safety of the Anderson shelter in the garden. I was wearing a red siren suit and so was my teddy. It was night time and I thought it was exciting. Often Joey, our tortoise, had fallen into the shelter and couldn鈥檛 get out. My mother often played a special game with me - hiding in the cupboard under the stairs wearing gas masks. Mine was Micky Mouse!

When I was four my mother and I were evacuated together with two other young mothers and their daughters to Swindon. We were billeted with the Arkell family who produced the local beer. Their home was a very big house called The Grange. We all lived in a small flat above the garage. We had to walk through the garage to open the door to stairs that led up to the flat. I remember the mice scattering away every time the door was opened. The larder was at the top of the stairs and mice were in there too.

We three girls all slept in the same bed. I can鈥檛 remember where the grown ups slept. I can only assume they must have been in the one other room which contained a sink in which vegetables were prepared and where we were bathed. I enjoyed my time there. The owners of The Grange kept guinea pigs and we were allowed to stroke them. From somewhere came a tricycle which gave us lots of fun as well as minor accidents! The housekeeper took me round the garden. I was interested in the flowers she showed me and still remember their names.

One night when we girls were in bed we heard horrible animal screeching, Our mothers came in to comfort us. We later learnt that the goats we had seen in the fields were being killed right underneath us in the garage.

Eventually the other mothers and their daughters left leaving just me and my mother. My mother got a job in a factory and I was taken every day to Mrs Wells who looked after several children. I was terrified of her - she was very strict! I soon started nursery school and remember counting with an abacus and drawing on a slate with chalk.

We eventually came back to London where I went to school. During the air raids in the shelter we were given wool to wind round cardboard circles to make pom poms. It was good fun. I remember walking to school one day and having to avoid a fallen barage balloon.

In 1943 my sister was born and I can remember going into the Morrison shelter, which was in the house, and the baby being put bodily into a sort of gas mask which covered her completely. When Margaret was six months old we went with my mother to stay with Auntie Lorna and Uncle David who lived in Preston, where we were safe from the doodlebugs. I went to school there and was very pleased to be top of the class!

We were there for about ten months and I can remember being back in London for VE Day and the fireworks and bonfires.

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