大象传媒

Poppy鈥檚 wartime Memories

1941

By this time the daylight raids seemed to have eased off a bit and we had more night time raids, the planes used Portland as a landmark when they bombed Bristol and Coventry and other places inland. One night they destroyed the Kingsway Hotel, which was right opposite our own house in Albert Terrace. It had been requisitioned by the Army, the damaged was extensive and if we had still been living there we would certainly been killed. (That was three of my lives used up). My Auntie Doris who lived the other side of the Kingsway was very lucky not to have been killed or injured as her house was badly damaged. When we went to visit her the next morning there were bits of bodies of soldiers everywhere that had been blown through the window and roof. A house further down the road had a direct hit and a whole family were wiped out.

One evening we had a chimney fire at my Granny鈥檚 house so we called the Fire Brigade but they couldn鈥檛 come out as they were on a yellow alert and they told us that we had to put it out immediately as it was a beacon for the planes. Of course there were panic stations so Aunt Olly grabbed a sandbag and went into the house next door and climbed out onto a ledge that enabled her to get to the apex of the roof, she sat astride the top and inched her way along dragging the sandbag, we were all standing in the road cheering her on when suddenly the siren sounded, everyone scattered to the shelters leaving her to tip the sandbag down the chimney. She made her way safely back in the dusk and joined us to loud cheers. After the all clear sounded we came out of the shelter and met a very angry neighbour, Aunt Olly had put the sandbag down the wrong chimney and poor Mrs Sayers had her front room full of soot. By then the fire in our chimney had gone out so we all helped clean up the soot and mess in both houses.

Clothes were scarce, because of the shortage of material and of course the coupons, so we had to 鈥渕ake do and mend鈥�. I remember making a smart pair of mittens from the sleeves of a jumper worn at the elbows and then using the body for a pullover, embroidering over the moth holes. Also we turned coats inside out and sewed them up again or made jackets or skirts out of them. My mother soled and heeled my shoes on an old iron foot and she made a very good job of it, putting Segs on the heels so I could hear myself tapping along the ground.

Of course we were all very patriotic and tried to help with the war effort. Two of my friends, my cousin and I decided we wanted to raise money for War weapons week so we went round the houses in our street collecting, and I do mean anything, for a Jumble Sale. There were two lock up garages in the road and Mr Pennell kindly let us use his for storage and the sale. People came from all over the place as the 鈥渂ush telegraph鈥� was very good and we eventually raised 拢9.14.6d and Mr Pennell donated the rest to make 拢10, which was a considerable amount in those days. We proudly took it to the Council Offices where we made the presentation to the chairman of the Council, Mr Patten.

1942

The air raids seemed to be getting less during the daytime and a crowd of us children decided we needed to do something to entertain the troops so we decided on a Pantomime which was Cinderella. Our mothers helped us to make the costumes out of bits and pieces of curtains, butter muslin and crepe paper. My cousin Sylvia was Cinderella and Peter (Bert) Harvey was Prince Charming I was the Fairy Godmother and sang Moonlight Becomes You and There鈥檒l Come Another Day. Our Mothers were our chaperons when we took the pantomime to the Verne for the soldiers, I expect they thought it all very 鈥榗orny鈥� but did show us a 鈥榞ood hand鈥�. In those days there was no television and no big shows in this area to compare us with so we performed at the Jubilee Hall in Portland and then the Sidney Hall in Weymouth and made quite a bit of money which was presented to the Merchant Navy Fund. Sylvia and Peter were invited to go to London to meet Doris Hare and hand over the money.

That year I started at the SDTC on a two-year commercial course studying shorthand/typing etc. We made the journey daily by train from Portland to Westham Station, often the sirens would sound and we had to pull into the nearest station to wait until the raid was over.

I also joined the GTC (Girls Training Corps) we were issued with a beret and badge and had to provide our own navy or black skirt and tie and a white blouse. I don鈥檛 know what we were supposed to do but I did enjoy the marching and drilling and all the social activities.

Our social life did improve we went to local socials and dances and it was good coming home in daylight, then we had Double British Summertime. There was always a queue for the Pictures, as we called them, one night the siren sounded and people started to leave and on our way out we saw a German plane on fire coming straight for the Regal, everybody ducked and screamed but luckily it swerved and crashed in a builder鈥檚 yard just a street away. The pilot bailed out at the last minute but his parachute didn鈥檛 open and he landed in my friend鈥檚 back garden, leaving rather a big indentation.

1943

This was the year the Americans arrived and our lives changed. First of all the black Americans came to build roads and hards etc Lots of the older girls were dating them and may little black babies arrived on the scene.

Later in the year the whole area was full of American soldiers and sailors, so instead of girls dancing together we always had lots of partners and they taught us to jitterbug and we taught them to quickstep and waltz and of course the Palais Glide and the Hokey Cokey.

As I was in the GTC we opened a canteen in the Parish Hall on Sunday afternoons where British and American Servicemen could have tea and cake and write letters home.

1944

During the build up to D Day south Dorset was a Sealed area, everywhere there were men and vehicles. We had just finished our exams at the SDTC when we were asked to leave school early and work in the Dockyard Offices over the D Day period. I was put in the stores office, which was situated in a tunnel near the breakwater. There was no daylight and in those days we didn鈥檛 have fluorescent light so it was rather dreary.

Everything had to be done in triplicate and with all the excitement going on outside it was rather boring. I was glad when the emergency was over and I could leave. I then started in the Treasurer鈥檚 Department of the local Council Offices as a temporary clerk. We were mostly young girls with a few older men in charge (the younger men had been called up 鈥� hence the temporary). We were obliged to join the Civil Control. This was to report on any bombs or damage during an air raid and contact the emergency services, such as Police, Ambulance, Fire Brigade etc. We did one or two night shifts per week from 8 pm to 8 am but had to be back at work that day, We had palliasses to sleep on and blankets so it wasn鈥檛 too bad. The times I was on duty there were only two yellow alerts and nothing happened, thank goodness.

One of the men in the office started the Home Guard Rifle and Social Club and we all joined and had a wonderful time. We organised successful Dances with Bands and sometimes we had just records. I think we had the first Kareoke as we used to get on the microphone and sing to the records.

1945

This was the year of Peace. On 7th June it was announced the war in Europe was over and there would be two days holiday on the 8th and 9th. My cousin Violet and I went to Weymouth on the bus and spent VE Day dancing on the Pier Bandstand to Bob Newsam and his Music, this music was relayed down the sea-front and it was crowded from the Bandstand to the Clock with servicemen and civilians doing the Conga, Hokey Cokey, Knees up Mother Brown and loads more. The pubs were overflowing and everyone was really enjoying this first day of peace in Europe. The buses had stopped running so to get home to Portland we got a lift on a Naval Tilly-Bus. There we joined in the street party and finished up at a Social at the local Church Hall.

At that time a film was out called 鈥業鈥檒l Be Your Sweetheart鈥� starring Margaret Lockwood and Michael Rennie and a competition was being run in conjunction with the film and Michael Rennie was presenting the prizes. Unknown to me my friends entered me in this competition and I sand 鈥楬oneysuckle and The Bee鈥�, I came second.
Through this Bob Newsam asked me if I would like to sing with his Band, of course I said 鈥� Yes Please鈥� and so started my days with Bob Newsam and His Music. When VJ Day arrived I was lucky to be able to sing with him for the Celebrations. My days as a Dance Band vocalist is another story.

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