大象传媒

My mother, father and family lived in a Lincolnshire village called Bracebridge Health for the duration of the war. My fahter was a Registered Mental Health Nurse (a Resevered Occupuational so did not go the fight in the 'war') my mother a housewife with three daughters. The first born 1934, the second (myself) 1940 during Dunkirk, the third 1942, so she had two 'war babies' Seeing the programme Dunkirk reminded me of her story of my birth which took place during the Dunkirk evacuation during June 1940. My elder sister had been born at home but because of the war and the fact we lived only a couple of fields away from RAF Waddington, which flew bombers during the war, the local doctor decided women having babies must go to hospital. I was born in Grantham which at that time had a factory making ammunition so was not a very safe place either!. Grantham was reguarly bombed becuase of the factory (and the point of my story is how brave these ordinary country people were at that time)during the night raids on Grantham all the beds were pushed together to make a shelter for mothers, they all slid under the beds and their babies where handed along the line to the 'right' mother. I believe this happens for about 7-10 days - I do wish I had listened better to my mother's stories! Anyway my younger sister born in Grantham in 1942 did not have such an exciting birth and my parents carried on with everyday life as normal as possible. Until ...... 1943

My parents were informed by letter from the Air Ministry that because of the cottages being in the flight path of aircraft we were to vacate our home, and given two weeks to get out. Imagine my poor mother's feelings. My father worked long hours because of shortage of staff at the local mental hospital, called an alsyum in those days, so it was left to my mother to trudge into Lincoln taking us three girls with her , to make a point I think, to the Housing Department. A 'power mad' offical, my mother's words, told her not to waste his time as if she had been living in Germany she's have probably have been shot along with her children. Her point was she was english and doing the best she could in the circumstances. Anyway we had to share a house with three other families who'd also been told to leave, in Waddington village. The house had previosly been used for Airforce men to rest between raids and had been left in a dirty condition as well as very cold so the three mum's had to clean it out before they could move their families in. Eventually we were allocated a Council house back in Bracebridge Health village and at 3 years old I can vividly remember the wet cold rainy November day we moved in!

We three girls had happy memories of the war as well, and we recall the 'blackouts' during the war which we thought were great fun, and the VE and VJ celebrations.

I am realising whilst typing this that I actually remember more about WW2 that I had thought but once again I wish I had written more down.

My father was a good gardener so we did not go without food. Also someting funny that my children think hilaroius was that he was the treasurer of the 'Pig Club' which met monthly in the local Pub. The John Bull, apparently all pigs had to be registered but of MAFF regulations. All the participating families went on a bus trip to Skegness or Cleethorpes every summer. I don't think many people realise just how long after the war finshed that food was rationed.

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