大象传媒

At the age of 5 in 1939, like so many little ones, I was evacuated from my home in Amen Corner, Byton Road, Tooting, London. I remember being on the platform at Victoria Station with a crowd of other children. I had a label with my name on it around my neck with my gas mask. As I got on the train unfortunately someone closed the door on my thumb and I was told by the person with us that she had to undo the first aid box just for me!
We arrived in Littlehampton in the afternoon and I was billeted near the seafront, in a small cottage near the harbour. People were skating on an outside rink one day when the siren sounded and everyone ran for cover. I was there for about six months and then I was moved to Arundel and lived the country life with a lot of outdoor activities.
My mother had died when I was 3 and my father remarried in 1939 but I did not know this until later.
My step mother, Audrey, had an aunt who lived in Dorking, Surrey who said she would like to look after me for the duration of the war. I arrived there with my step mother and one of her sisters. We travelled by train, it poured with rain and we were soaked after a long walk to the house. I spent the rest of the war there and had a lovely life with Auntie Gertie.
On VE day it was my 11th birthday. Soon after I moved back to live in Tooting in the house where I was born which luckily had not been bombed.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.