大象传媒

At the age of just four I started school of Little Bealings Primary School- just at the outbreak of the war, September 1939. I can remember going to school and hearing very loud aircraft noises from Martlesham Heath. The Royal Air Force were there until 1943 when the American 356th Fighter Group came in with P47 Thunderbolts followed by P51 Mustangs: my memory of rushing down the sandy lane from school to the Admirals Head pub- every time the air raid warning sounded, sticks in my mind. We would go down into the cellar until the 'all clear' sounded. I can rememeber singing 'Ten green bottles'. Another thing I remember is taking a tin or jar to school to collect powdered drinking chocolate - a gift from Canada- collecting rationed meat pies- Telfers from Mrs Howell. My mother distributed concentrated orange juice and powdered milk to expectant mums and young children. My father was a coal merchant and as such was deferred from service in the Royal Air Force. My school, in 1944 was taken to Debach Air Field for a Christmas party- the first time we had met black airmen- I remember it was very dark and pouring with rain. The air raids, to a six/seven year old, I remember did not seem any different to a thunderstorm. I can not really remember being scared. My friend and I and my dog Pluto travelled miles in an Army ambulance- it would go to Ipswich for supplies with Keith, Pluto and I in the back looking out of the small windows. My mother had some silk Union (Jack) flags. I would ask if I could have these. She would say "no, they are to put around the house after the war", and they were. There are four in the Martlesham Heath Museum. My last memory was one of the first V2 Rockets dropping near Playford- it rocked our school (like mad. I spent many hours in our shelter in the garden, built of railway sleepers by my father. Dispite a war, I had a very happy childhood.

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