大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by the Barnsley Archives and Local Studies Department on behalf of Barbara Cook and has been added to the site with his/her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions."
My father, William Alfred Wilcox, was killed in World War II. June 1940, we lived at Thurnscoe and a telegram came saying came saying he was missing. Then a second one came saying he was missing presumed prisoner of war and then the third one came saying killed in action. A soldier came and told us what had happened to him. He had been blown up trying to save a wounded soldier he knew. It was Tommy Atkins from Great Houghton, he left a wife and children.

We had evacuees, Aunty Nell from London, she had a baby while she was living here. Nell got upset when she saw the bombers going over. We had 8 people living in a 2 bedroom terrace house.

We had an air raid shelter at school and we used to do air raid drills.

We had street parties at the end of the war. Mrs Margison woke everyone up on the street to tell them that the war had ended.

Mum had to go into service because she had to work. She left me with neighbours. She re-married another soldier was evacuated from Dunkirk the same time as my father.

Winifred Wilcox, my grandmother, had a shed where she kept large amounts of food, which she had obtained from the Jews in Leeds. She had blocks of lard, which she used to give to Mum to bake with.

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