大象传媒

Second World War Memories

When the War began I was living with my parents and one of my five brothers in Blackhorse Lane, Walthamstow 鈥� a London suburb 鈥� and travelled to the City to work.

In the early days, before we were issued with an Anderson shelter for the garden, we used a public shelter built in the basement (originally servants鈥� quarters) of Uplands house opposite our house 鈥� I remember as a child it was occupied by the Erwin family 鈥� we children referred to them as Lord and Lady but whether that was fantasy I cannot say 鈥� the house was unoccupied for many years before the War and pigeons took over. But, back to the basement 鈥� the wooden shoring formed cubicles giving some privacy and since we spent most nights there once the real blitz started, we made palliases out of flock-filled mattresses so that we could sleep on the stone floor rather than sit upright on the wooden bench provided. These, together with blankets and pillows were taken to the shelter before darkness fell, or before, if the warning siren sounded. I remember one Sunday 鈥� we鈥檇 just sat down to enjoy the 鈥淪unday Roast鈥� when the siren went 鈥� we left it on the table and took cover. Fortunately, the 鈥渁ll clear鈥� soon followed and we were able to return home before the meal was too cold to eat. We had a near miss one night 鈥� a small bomb demolished a confectioners about twenty yards away. My Father was on his way home from his two-ten shift at work and the blast blew him along the shelter entrance tunnel 鈥� he was winded but unhurt.

Some weekends I spent with my eldest brother and his wife at Edmonton (another London suburb) and was there when London (the City) was set alight 鈥� we could see the glow some ten miles or more away and could only speculate as to the exact location. I travelled to work next morning as usual and had to pick my way over a mass of hosepipes on the walk from Liverpool Street Station 鈥� along London Wall and Fore Street to Jewin Crescent, where I supervised the Office of one of the many manufacturers located there. I鈥檒l never forget the pungent smell of wet, smouldering wood 鈥� and I鈥檓 nearly ninety now. The employees who were on fire-watch that night and the management had formed a chain-gang to salvage what they could from the basement 鈥� including my accounts books from the walk-in safe. Money which had been left in the small office safe was reduced to the metal stripe by which their value could be determined.

When the siren sounded all traffic had to come to a standstill 鈥� crowded trains travelled in complete darkness and often had to be re-routed through unfamiliar stations 鈥� the names of which were also blacked out 鈥� perhaps when we did eventually arrive at our destination there would be no buses running because of the thick smog and I鈥檇 have to walk the last mile home along a main road with one hand feeling for fences and hedges, and the other pointing a very small torch to find the curbs of side-turnings. The thick fog created an unreal and silent world 鈥� but at least it kept the enemy planes away.

One evening, my Mother and I were preparing for bed when we heard a plane circling round clearly in trouble 鈥� we learned next day that a plane had been trying to land on Hackney Marshes nearby as an emergency, when it had inadvertently touched one of the mooring lines of the Balloon Barrage surrounding London and had to come down in flames on a school in Leyton High Road 鈥� killing the seven crew and fourteen A.R.P. workers stationed at the School. Little did we know until later that my favourite Brother was the rear gunner/wireless operator on that flight which was their last few hours of training. They鈥檇 come from Cambridgeshire and are interred in Royston Cemetery there. I attended the Military funeral they were given and even now the sounding of the 鈥淟ast Post鈥� bring vivid pictures to mind.

Most of the population who lived in inner London used the Underground railway stations for shelter where bare metal bunks were placed along the back of the platforms 鈥� when the siren sounded there was a stampede to get a bunk before they were all taken 鈥� often leading to minor skirmishes. I remember well the tragedy at Mile End Station 鈥� someone missed their footing going down the entrance steps causing the pushing horde behind them to fall on top of them 鈥� many people were crushed to death 鈥� mostly Jewish in that area.

What with food and clothing rationing, Church weddings were rare 鈥� people were asked not to congregate for their own safety. At Registry Offices only the bride and groom and two witnesses were allowed inside 鈥� any guests had to wait outside on the pavement.

Elsie Buckland (nee Ford)

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.