大象传媒

Along with 203 children from St. Benedict鈥檚 Road School, my brother (who was around 9 or 10 years of age at the time) and I (8-9 years of age) boarded a steam locomotive at Tyseley station on September 1st 1939. This train had travelled across Birmingham collecting over 1,000 children. Its final destination was Rhonda Valley in South Wales (but it stopped along the way leaving children in different towns meant for different foster families).

Along with 32 children I alighted at the market town of Ross on Wye with four of our teachers. We then went off to the village hall to wait being selected by foster parents. We were selected at random, wearing i.d. labels around our necks and holding our gas mask cases.

We were issued with a brown paper carrier bag consisting of 48hour rations

bag of sugar
1/4Lb. packet of tea
small tin of corned beek
small tin of evaporated milk
packet of plain arrowroot biscuits
1/2lb slab of Cadbury's chocolate

We were given strict instructions to not touch any of these things, they were to be handed over to our new homes, but we couldn't wait and dipped into our rations.

On entering the Farmhouse was a scene that would remain with us till our present day. No electricity or gas. oil-fileld lamps hung from a low beamed structure on the ceiling. OUr sleeping quarters were a huge converted loft and we had a large featherbed which we had to share. THe toilet was a wooden box nailed to a wall with a plank inside with a hole in the center. The door was weighted with a house brick attached to a piece of string and the worst obnoxious smell on entering. Running water was obtained from a well.

Home sickness became acute, we begged to return home which we did after the 1st year to face the Birmingham Blitz.

Fifty years on my brother traced 32 of the St. Benedict鈥檚 Road children and the four teachers and organised three reunions. We presented the village with a wooden bench with brass inscription an Asa Tree Planting and a bibilical plaque which proudly hangs in the local church.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Rose Lillian Gillet and has been added to the site with her permission. Rose Lillian Gillet fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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