大象传媒

This story was submitted to the people's website by Ann Reilly from Bracknell Library. on behalf of Mary Malloy and has been added to the site with her permission. Mary fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

I was 14 and a half at the beginning of the war. I lived in Hayes. We had moved from Battersea because of the war. I had a younger brother and sister and my mother did not want them to be evacuated. The house we moved to had a large room that was used as a classroom and a group of children, including my brother and sister were educated each morning.

Because of the war I had to leave school. I was employed at HMV in Clayton Rd Hayes. We had to sign the official secrets act. I started as a cashier in the canteen and was transferred to the assembly factory when the canteen was sold. I worked on the assembly line and fitted screws into radios.

Later I was transferred to the Drawing office. I started taking blueprints to the different parts of the factory. The operations were secret so we did not know what was being produced. I had a special pass to move round the factory that was very spread out. Later I was involved in filing the blueprints into huge safes.

At home we slept in the war raid shelter at night in the recreation ground.
One night a land mine exploded nearby and blew in the windows. Fortunately none of the family was hurt.

At the end of the war I was one of the crowd outside Buckingham Palace on VE day. I can鈥檛 remember getting to London but can remember surging down the Mall with my friends. You were carried along by the crowd. It was a very special atmosphere.

At the time of the Victory Parade I took a young boy to see his father, a Royal Marine Bass player, in the parade. We arrived at Hyde Park Corner and the crowds were there. I was concerned that this young boy would not be able to see a thing. Fortunately a policeman cleared the way. He parted the crowd and we were able to move through to the front and saw everything.

I was 14 and a half at the beginning of the war. I lived in Hayes. We had moved from Battersea because of the war. I had a younger brother and sister and my mother did not want them to be evacuated. The house we moved to had a large room that was used as a classroom and a group of children, including my brother and sister were educated each morning.

Because of the war I had to leave school. I was employed at HMV in Clayton Rd Hayes. We had to sign the official secrets act. I started as a cashier in the canteen and was transferred to the assembly factory when the canteen was sold. I worked on the assembly line and fitted screws into radios.

Later I was transferred to the Drawing office. I started taking blueprints to the different parts of the factory. The operations were secret so we did not know what was being produced. I had a special pass to move round the factory that was very spread out. Later I was involved in filing the blueprints into huge safes.

At home we slept in the war raid shelter at night in the recreation ground.
One night a land mine exploded nearby and blew in the windows. Fortunately none of the family was hurt.

At the end of the war I was one of the crowd outside Buckingham Palace on VE day. I can鈥檛 remember getting to London but can remember surging down the Mall with my friends. You were carried along by the crowd. It was a very special atmosphere.

At the time of the Victory Parade I took a young boy to see his father, a Royal Marine Bass player, in the parade. We arrived at Hyde Park Corner and the crowds were there. I was concerned that this young boy would not be able to see a thing. Fortunately a policeman cleared the way. He parted the crowd and we were able to move through to the front and saw everything.

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