- Contributed by听
- ambervalley
- People in story:听
- Ralph Wittamore,George Wittamore,Marie Elizabeth Wittamore
- Location of story:听
- Walthamstow,East London
- Background to story:听
- Civilian
- Article ID:听
- A2755460
- Contributed on:听
- 17 June 2004
I was a youngster during the Second World War. We lived in Walthamstow, East London. I was an only child and lived with my mother,Marie Wittamore and my father, George Wittamore. My father was classed as medically unfit for active service. Instead he worked as a manager in an ironmongers(hardware shop)in the City of London. Mum did various jobs and scrounged for food like all mums during the War because of rationing. My mum had all the problems attached to rationing, but she was very clever and seemed to know which tradesman had got what to sell! She often swapped coupons either in the shops or with friends and neighbours. Although the rations were very small we always had meals on the table. On one occasion, my mum had been able to get some sausages(a rare treat) for our midday dinner. As soon as she had dished up the meal, the siren went off and we had to dash for the shelter with our dinners in our hands. Running down the garden, i tripped over a flagstone and my dinner went everywhere. In the shelter we just cried and shared mum's dinner. We were very upset because the butcher had only got the sausages in that day after waiting for weeks for supplies.
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