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This story was submitted to the people war Website by a volunteer from Tiverton Museum of Mid Devon Life on behalf of Peggy Ellicott.

Peggy Ellicott.

I was four and a half when WW2 started. I lived with my parents and younger sister at Claypitt Cottage, Howden, Tiverton, which was the gardener鈥檚 cottage belonging to Howden House 鈥� now demolished and which stood on the site which is now Palmerston Park.

The house belonged to a solicitor 鈥� Mr Johnson 鈥� who lived there with his family. When the war started they moved to South Africa 鈥� leaving the house empty. The property was then taken over by English troops 鈥� The Durham Light Infantry and after that in 1943 the American 4th Infantry Division.

The American troops were stationed in several areas of Tiverton 鈥� St. Paul鈥檚 schoolrooms, which we passed on our way to school each morning. The soldiers always called us over to the window and gave us some of their breakfast food, which included oranges which were a great treat. They were also stationed at Collipriest House and Westexe Recreation Ground. Knightshayes Court was a Military Hospital for English and Americans.

I was walking home from school one day 鈥� which was at least a mile 鈥� a convoy of American forces passed me in our lane. One of the vehicles stopped and the driver said 鈥渨e鈥檝e been looking for a nice little girl like you to give our rations to鈥�. I went home laden with coffee, tea and candy. They were very kind to the local children. I now realise they were moving out of the area and were sent to Normandy for the D Day landings. Most of that division were killed there.

I recently visited Normandy and visited an English Military Cemetery where my husband鈥檚 brother is buried. We also visited the American Cemetery an saw several headstones showing the names of soldiers of that 4th Division and wondered if any of them were the lively young men who were so kind to us.

We were lucky as my parents had a large garden and grew fruit and vegetables. They also kept chickens which supplied us with eggs.

However, double summer time was introduced and the chickens just wouldn鈥檛 go to roost until it started to get dark which was 11 p.m. or later. The idea of double summer time was to preserve energy by not using as much electricity or gas. That didn鈥檛 apply to us though as we had no mains services 鈥� oil lamps and candles for light or a primus for cooking. We could boil a kettle by the fire. How did my mother manage. We had 2 evacuees staying with us. A lady 鈥� Mrs Lamb and her daughter Betty. Mrs Lamb worked at a local bakers 鈥� Goviers 鈥� in Westexe and Betty worked at Heathcoats Factory which made parachute silk.

There were several evacuees at our school 鈥� now the Factory Shop for Heathcoats Factory. Two of the names of evacuee children I remember 鈥� Saffer 鈥� Lionel and Monty and a girl called Marina Newman. They came from London 鈥� it must have been difficult for them 鈥� so far from home.

One of my aunts married an American sailor 鈥� he was based in Exeter but came to Tiverton every day to work at Heathcoats Factory. My aunt moved to Pennsylvania after the war where she still lives.

I used to lie in bed at night and cover my head with the blankets when I heard an aeroplane overhead. No heavy bombing here but still frightening.

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