大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by a volunteer from 大象传媒 Radio Norfolk on behalf of Betty Woodcock and had been added to the site with her permission. Betty Woodcock fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Another Lion's Den

Background
My father was born in Stoke on Trent and after serving in the first World War returned to get his job as an accountant back at Minton Pottery only to find that his it had been given to one of the owners relations. In 1921 my mother and father decided to get married and an aunt who lived in America ( where she had opened the first English fish and chip shop in New York) asked them to go over there to find work so they went. My father changed occupations and learned watching making and jewellery. I was due to be born in August 1924 and my mother wanted me to be born in England so she returned home by sea alone arriving in July and I was born in August. My father did not come home until January the following year. When he arrived back in England he had to look for work and found a job in Chiswick working for James Walker - watch maker. My father looked after King George VI watch.

I was 15 when war broke out and were still living in Chiswick there were lots of air raids. During one particularly bad air raid when we were all sleeping under the stairs. (There were two reasons why we were under the stairs. Our garden was not large enough for an Anderson Shelter and we did not have a big enough room for a Morrison Shelter.) So we went under the stairs. When we emerged in the daylight we saw that all of the window frames had been blown in and found that all of the houses at the bottom of the garden had been demolished by the previous nights bomb.

At this time all schools in London were closed and many children were evacuated. I did not go as I was an only child and the family wanted to stay together. The headmistress of our school came to see me and suggested that I attend Pitman's College. Which I did travelling on the underground ( above ground then) with the windows blacked out between Chiswick and Ealing Broadway.

RAF Air Defence Radar Museum, Saturday 9th July 2005.WW2 Special Event
I came to work here five years ago when they needed volunteers and started working in the shop. However, I didn't find this very satisfying and told the person in charge that I wanted to be a guide. I knew nothing about Radar but I started my training and learning my story. I had lot of interest as I was in the battle of Britain. So now the tours of the museum begin in the 1940's room with me telling people about life then before the other guides take over.

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