大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Martin Hough a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of B S Newell and has been added to the site with her permission. B S Newell fully understands the sites terms and conditions

In June 1940, at the age of 9, my parents arranged a private evacuation for me from Birmingham, first to Ludlow and after six months, owing to the difficulty of travelling to see me, I went to a very small village near Droitwich.

I stayed with a lady whose husband was in the Army and I only saw him once when he came home on leave. There were two children, a girl of six and a boy of three and a third child died the year before after pulling a saucepan of boiling water over himself.

I was not very happy and was continually hungry as the lady would only allow me to eat as much as the young girl. However, next door lived a retired Army Captain in a beautiful large house with extensive grounds who loved children and allowed the local children to play there. He had a cook/housekeeper, a maid and a couple of elderly men who worked in the garden. He also had a pony and trap and occasionally took us out in it, which was a great treat. He also let me borrow books from his library and I remember reading Gulliver鈥檚 Travels there. He used to keep a large trunk in the drawing room which was kept locked and he would often open it and give us some of the chocolates which he kept in it. He also lent me a bike. On fine days at about 4 o鈥檆lock he was served tea in the garden and I was often given the most delicious cucumber sandwiches-much to the maid鈥檚 disgust.

After two years I persuaded my Father to let me come home, even though the bombing was as bad as ever and I remember being in the Anderson shelter one night for 13 hours. Our shelter was always crowded as two of my Aunties lived in the same street and they used to come to us with their children.

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