大象传媒

(Story 1)

In 1941 I was a 14-year-old working in Folkestone. I sat in an unheated box in the middle of Timothy Whites taking money, keeping warm by using hot water bottles and blankets. It was a joy when I was moved to the Co-op which was much warmer. However I had only been there two days when Folkestone became the target for very heavy air raids. Out of the blue we were told we were being evacuated and I and my 12-year-old brother found ourselvces on a very slow train to Leicester where our parents had friends. The friends met us at the station and took us to their small town house. We were lucky enough to have our own rooms and the luxury of a bathroom which we didn't have at home! We were both soon at work, myself doing clerical work at British United. It was a better life for a while with no air raids especially when our parents came to Leicester as well.

In early January 1942 my grandmother and auntie were in our old house in Folkestone when it was hit by a bomb. My grandmother was upstairs and stood no chance. She was blown to bits. My auntie survived because she had managed to get into the cupboard under the stairs. How lucky for the rest of us that we were not there!.

These stories have been added to the People's War website by Terry Greenwood on behalf of Jean E Taylor who has given her written permission so to do.

(Story 2)
As evacuees in Leicester we were spared much of the trauma of bombing inflicted on our home town of Folkestone. However, the general restrictions of rationing affected us as everyone else. As a young girl of 15 I was particularly frustrated by the absence of new clothes. It was a patch-and-darn world! The clothing coupons had to be used on practical things like cotton and knitting materials as part of patch and darn. A new dress was unheard of. We were fortunate enough to have an allotment and grew our own vegetables. The drawback was I soon became sick of vegetable stews! There were no sweets and very little meat or cheese. I didn't like being a compulsary vegetatian at all! I wanted to help out in some say so I joined the St. John's Ambulance. I was soon dealing with all sorts of minor injuries but fortunately no bombing incidents.

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