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I was nearly eight years old when war broke out. At first nothing seemed to change and people were heard to say 'it won't last and will be over before it's even started.' However things did change in 1940, when the British were driven out of France.

Then the Blitz started. I have vivid memories of crouching in an Anderson Shelter commonly know as a Dug Out, when the enemy raiders dropped three bombs, which destroyed houses 100 yards away. My parents decided that I should be evacuated away from the danger and so made enquiries at East Ham. You had to be at least nine years old and you had to be capable of sewing on a button and darning a sock to go to a Camp School in Hindhead in Surrey. On Sunday December 1st 1940 I boarded a coach that was to take me to my evacuation centre. I was nine years and four days old.

The fee my parents had to pay was either six or nine shillings a week - I can't remember the exact amount. For that, I got full board and all my laundry done, plus full time education. My parents had to supply our clothes and pocket money.

I didn't know what to expect but I found out it was a boarding school. I only realised later in life how lucky I'd been! I hadn't had to stand in some strange village hall with other evacuees waiting to be picked.

This was Marchant's Hill School and it was completely self contained in about 15 acres of woodland. There were six huts that served as our accommodation and could sleep up to 40 children on double bunk beds. There was a room at each end for a teacher to occupy. Girls and boys slept separately.

In our free time we would explore the surrounding woodland and further a field. We never had maps and we never got lost. We didn't have any means of telling the time but always found our way back in time for a meal.

The fact that girls were also at the evacuation centre was a bonus because the boys learned to show respect to the opposite sex and as we were taught ballroom dancing we had a choice of dance partners. It wasn't unusual for a boy to take a shine to a particular girl or vice versa. The general term was sweethearts and many a kiss was passed between them when possible!

Christmas was always most enjoyable. The teachers encouraged us with our nativity play and on Christmas morning every child got a present.

Discipline: Depending on what you had done wrong, would be the measure of the punishment you would receive. More serious crimes would result in the cane and you could get up to six ‘handers.’

Entertainment: One of the teachers had a silent film projector and great enjoyment was had by all once a week watching these movies that were made in the first part of the 20th century. Films like Adventure Epics, Westerns, Comedies, and every silent film that Charlie Chaplin ever made!

There were a lot of soldiers stationed nearby mostly Canadians and they were very good to us, passing on the odd chocolate bar!

Potatoe picking was something that was looked forward to. Firstly it kept us from the classroom and we also got paid 4d an hour, half of which was retained for the school funds.

In 1944 I was fast approaching my 13th birthday and was beginning to feel quite grown up, although I was still wearing short trousers, as all the boys did.
I remember the first time I bought a pair of Longons, in exchange for 5 conkers !

Many an adult has said to me over the years that school days are the best years of your life. A statement that I never believed but now looking back I think they were right. At the age of 18 I joined the RAF and had to share a dormitory with 39 other men. I didn't find that very difficult, probably because of my experiences as an ex 'Boarding School' evacuee.

This story was submitted to the People's War website by a volunteer from ´óÏó´«Ã½ Essex on behalf of Edward Harris and has been added to the site with his permission. He understands the sites terms and conditions.

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