大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War web-site by Heather McGrouther from 大象传媒 Coventry & Warwickshire on behalf of Dianne Gibbs with her permission. She understands the terms & conditions.

On the Saturday before war was declared, (I was 13 at the time) we had to go into school to have all our shoes and clothes examined. We were told that if war was declared we were to be at the school at 2.00pm. War was declared, so I went to school with my brother and sister, where we were put on a coach and taken to a barn just on the outskirts of Fenny Compton.

We were given a large brown paper bag which was filled with groceries and one large bar of Cadburys chocolate! Some of the children started eating theirs straight away, but we didn't as we were too well behaved!

We were then taken to the village school where the people from the village were waiting to receive us. A lady came up to me and said "I'll have you" but I said
"You can't have just me, 'cause my mum said we have to stay together."
She said "I only want one little girl to keep my daughter company" so off she went.

Later, she came back and she said "I will take the three of you."
When we got to the house, we were having our tea and the husband came home (he was the local coal merchant) and said "Hello, your face looks familiar to me." I told him that I'd never been to the village before, but he insisted he recognised my face.

Suddenly he said "Is your name Hancox? Have you got family in Hornton?" to which I said I did. My Grandparents lived in Hornton and it turned out that he knew my whole family!

Later during our stay he took us to visit my Grandfather in Hornton, they were so kind to us, and it was so lovely to be looked after by people who knew our family.

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