大象传媒

This story has been submited to the People's War Website by csv volunteer, Ann Toomey, on behalf of the author Joyce Lee, who is aware of the site's terms and conditions.

I was 5 years old when war broke out and living 20 miles North of London - my father was amongst the first to volunteer and my memories of the whole war are of happy times - possibly because of my mother who was always very calm when air raids came. There were several bad boming raids near and adjacent to us, but we were always in the Anderson. I remember being woken when the siren went, my mother trying to dress me in a "siren suit" (all in one trousers, top and hood with a zip front) and as soon as she tried to put my foot in one leg I would slide down sound asleep.

Our dog would bark at the door the instant the siren went to get down to the shelter - I had a narrow bunk just the length of the shelter and my mother and a lady lodger had deck chairs crossways so that their legs went under my bunk - when the inevitable happened and I fell out straight into their laps - the canvas on their chairs split and they were put on their backs and unable to get up!!!!

There was of course great neighbourlyness - which was wonderful - our next door neightbours had a Morrison shelter which was indoors and with a metal top - we had wonderful concerts - tap dancing on top of it.

The VE celebrations were wonderful with big road parties - pianos out in the streets etc. The only time I felt a bit nervous was towards the end of war when there were several doodlebugs came down around us and there was great loss of life - to see them stop in the sky was quite nerve acking and I was obviously around ll years old and understood more of the dangers.

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