大象传媒

When the Second World War was declared I was just 2 years old.
I was born 1937 and the War started in 1939. A bit to young to remember those early years.
My Father was called up in 1940 to serve with the The Royal Artillery when I was 3 years old still to young to remember.

My memories of the War begin round about my junior school years.

My first memories were of my mother taking me to a local school to get shoes and trousers issued by the Government.

With my Father in the Army my Mother had to find work to keep my Brother and myself. My Mother had to do two jobs both were housekeeping jobs in other peoples homes one in a morning and another in the afternoon taking me with her, my memories are of my Mother polishing the Silver scrubbing floors, blacking the fire grate.

Sweets were very rare as you had to produce a ration book were so many coupons were taken out depending on the amount you purchased.

Also food was rationed cheese, butter, sugar, tea, Ect.

The Americans came to Sutton Coldfield and were billeted at the top of our Road, in the school which was being built and had to be stopped due to the war.

We as children used to hang around the American camp gates and ask the Yanks for chewing gum and sweets, which they used to give us they were really kind.

And at Christmas time they used invite all the children from the local area to a Christmas Party they were very kind to us.

I can remember the Air Raids as the German bombers came to bomb Birmingham, Coventry, and the Castle Bromwich Aerodrome were the spitfire planes were built and tested.

The sirens used to go off and my Mother used to push us under the kitchen table or run us down the garden to the Air Raid shelter which we shared with our next door neighbours. I can remember sleeping in the Air Raid shelter with just a candle to provide light and a black curtain hanging over the Air Raid Shelter entrance, and hearing the sounds off the German Planes and the explsions off the Bombs being dropped then the all clear siren sounding and going back to the house to return to my bed.

Then my Mother got a job as a usherett at the Odeon Cinema in Sutton Coldfield. Straight from school I had to make my way to the Odeon Cinema were my mother used to give me my tea, and then I used to be put in the front seats of the Cinema for the rest of the night till it was time to go home, I used to watch the same film night after night for as many weeks that it was at the Cinema wich in those days it could run for 3 or 4 weeks.

Then when it was time to go home my mother used to send me home. We lived about 1 mile away and the journey home was in the pitch dark as there were no streeet lights due to the black outs. And get myself ready for bed and in bed for when my mother came home a short time later.

And memories of having meals at the British Resturants, which I must say were very good.

My memories also of those days at the Cinema were being at the front of the Cinema some times fast asleep being watched over by the other usherettes to make sure I was ok. And then my father coming home on leave and waking me up to take me home I used to love that.

Then came the day when my fathers leave would come to an end and he would have to return back to his regiment. My memories were of him leaving with his kit bag on his shoulder and walking up the Road to catch his train and myself standing at the house gate and shouting and shouting Ta Ra, Ta Ra, I love You till he was out of sight and my Father turning round and waving.

Then the War came to an end and I was one of the lucky ones my father came home for good, there were parties in the Streets a bomb fire on the corner of the road.

And things I had never seen before such as Oranges, Bananas, and then sweets coming off rationing.

My father missed five years of our growing up as many fathers did, and credit to my mother she brought my brother and myself up on her own, they must have been hard days.

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