大象传媒

A child in Ewell during the war

I lived in Ewell Park Way and was 5 years when war was declared. I was on holiday with my parents at friends in Bognor on that day. My parents returned to Ewell, leaving me with their friends in Bognor in case bombing started immediately 鈥� nobody knew what to expect. I had not yet started school and my main memory at this time is of being taken to my first school in Bognor and being left there by the only person I knew. I was soon brought back to Ewell after approximately l month and then started school at Sparrow Farm School, Stoneleigh.
I was never evacuated although I was told later that my name was put down to go to relatives in Canada and were awaiting a sailing date. After an evacuation ship full of small children was bombed , all evacuation sailings were cancelled. At the time I knew nothing of this, but my mother later told me that she would never have allowed me to go anyway!
At some time early in the war, the schools were closed for fear of many children being caught in the bombing. A small group of children would meet in a private house where a teacher would visit to provide some sort of education.
We had an Anderson shelter at the bottom of the garden which was very damp and horrible! My father and grand father used to stand outside the shelter watching the dog fights over London and our guns firing at enemy aircraft, (with great excitement and shrapnel falling everywhere). I can remember the great barrage balloons floating in the sky to try to distract the German pilots. To my great disappointment, I was never allowed to watch this exciting 鈥榝irework鈥� display.
Later, I used to be sent by my mother and grandmother to join the inevitable queues which formed outside of the shops just in case some food supplies were delivered with either of them coming to relieve me after an hour or so, bringing with them, of course, the Ration Books and 鈥淧oints鈥�. Coupons were cut from the books by the shopkeeper according to what you purchased and I think the Points were marked off with a pen.
Over by the Drill Hall opposite the Organ Inn was a 鈥淏ritish restaurant鈥� where meals for about 2/- each (now 10p), were provided without having to use your coupons (I think), as were wealthier people were able to eat in expensive hotels and restaurants.
My father was in the Home Guard which met at the Drill Hall until he was released from being in a Reserved Occupation and allowed to join the Royal Navy.
Later in the war, we only ran to the shelter if we recognized the distinctive sound of a German plane. Our dog, cleverly recognized this too (more reliably than we did). She had had a litter of puppies and on one particular occasion, we realised a German plane was approaching and made a run for the shelter. Trixie, quicker than us was there when we arrived, but howled until my mother and grandmother returned to the house for her puppies.

AVIS WERRELL (nee Nicholls)

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