大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War website by a volunteer from 大象传媒 Essex on behalf of Leonard Middleton and has been added to the site with his permission. Leonard understands the site's terms and conditions.

He gripped his bag with one hand and held tightly to his sister with the other hand. He was nine, she was twelve. The corner of the label in his lapel was sticking into his cheek, his mother had tied this label through his buttonhole: it gave his name and address. She had told him it was in case he got lost.

The stream of children wound their way along the High Street to the railway station; the mothers were waving and turing their heads so the children could not see the tears.

When they got to the railway station the train was waiting at the platform. His sister pushed him into a compartment and took a seat next to him. It was 1940 and his country was at war. They had been told they were going away from the bombing to Somerset which was in the countryside. The train pulled away and he settled in his seat and looked out of the window. The bombed houses and factories flashed by the window and soon his head dropped onto his chest and he was fast asleep. He awoke with a start: the train had jolted to a halt.

They heard voices and dropped the window and looked out. Mens' voices were saying that the railway line had been bombed and they would have to make a detour. The train shunted backwards and forwards, and then travelled a few more miles into the rapidly approaching darkness. A few more miles into the rapidly approaching darkeness.

After a while the train pulled into a small country station. They got out of the train and lined up along the platform. Helpers ushered them towards the exit where they were handed a small carrier bag which contained one tin of condensed milk, one tin of corned beef, one packet of crackers, one packet of biscuits, one small bar of chocolate and an orange.

Three coaches were waiting outside the station, and they were soon aboard. The coaches travelled along winding country lanes and rabbits darted across in the lights of the shaded headlights.

At last they came to a village and cheerful voices were telling them to get off. They filed into a large Nissen Hut and people from the village and men in R.A.F. Uniforms helped them with their bags and cases. The R.A.F. men were from a Barage Balloon Unit which was billeted in the village.

The children were very tired but soon felt better when they were handed hot cocoa and biscuits.

A man came round the tables where they were sitting: he had papers on a clipboard and he took their names and ages. He told them he was the billeting officer and he was arranging homes for them.

People came into the hut and spoke to the man, telling him they would take a girl or boy etc. He wrote their addresses next to names of children and the children were led away by the people who would be looking after them.

The boy was still clutching his sister's hand and she wouldnt go without him as her mother had told her.
At last there were only three children left - the boy, his sister, and another girl. They sat waiting for quite while, but no more people came in. The billeting officer said he would take them home with him.

They walkied down the darkened road and into a tree-lined driveway, and then saw a small house. The billeting officer, whose name was Mr Windsor, unlocked the front door and told them to go in.

Mrs Windsor greeted them and said they must be tired and ready for bed, to which they readily agreed. She took them upstairs and showed them where they were to sleep; the two girls would sit in a room together, and the boy could sleep in a little room at the back. On hearing this the boy looked a bit fearful as he had never slept in a room on his own before.

It must have been midnight and the boy couldn't get to sleep. He kept hearing noises and a dog howling. He got out of bed and looked out of the window, then he wished he hadnt looked, because right outside his window was a graveyard.

He dashed back to bed and got right under the covers, but he could still hear the dog howling and he was frightened. he felt something crawling up his leg and jumped out of bed with fright, only to see a little Yorkshire Terrier, which jumped on his bed.

He cuddled the dog and soon fell fast asleep

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