大象传媒

In September 1939 World War 2 broke out. I went to St Leonards School in Hythe Kent. I was 10 years old on 3rd September 1939 - it was decided to evacuate the whole school in 1940 when the bombing over Kent got really bad.

I had to pack a small case and I was issued with a gas mask in a little square box. I had to carry it at all times, hung around my neck.

In February 1940 I was taken to Hythe Railway Station by my parents with a parcel label attached to a button hole on my coat with my name and number on it and was put on a train to where I did not know. There were lots of tears, some of the children were older than me and some were younger. We were on the train for 10 - 12 hours without much to eat or drink. My destination turned out to be Cilgerran, near Cardigan in Wales. I was tired and hungry. When the train arrived we had to get off and stand in a line on the platform for the people waiting to choose a child to take home. I went to live with the village doctor and his wife, Mrs Jenkins and their daughter Zia who was a little older than me. It was very sad being away from Mum and Dad but I still had most of my school friends in or around the same village.

I went to a Welsh speaking school which was very hard at first, but when you are young you soon learn, I can still recite one or two poems in Welsh. I stayed there for two and a half years and then went back to live with my mother in Farnham, Surrey

I have since spent many hoilidays and still have many friends in Cilgarren to this day, some of whom have visited me here in Australia.

"This story has been submitted to the website by Helena Noifeld of 大象传媒 Radio Kent on behalf of Gwen Crouch. Her son Andrew Crouch has given permission for her story to appear on the website and he fully understand the terms and conditions of the website."

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