大象传媒

I was in an orphanage in South Wales and I can remember being taken for walks along the sea front and seeing a detachment of soldiers marching. My father was killed in the War and that is how I came to be there.

I remember the excitement when a German plane was shot down and Germans bailed out in the parachutes and how some people went running down to collect the parachutes because the material can be made into underwear. The soldiers were captured or killed when they crashed.

I remember the powdered eggs that we had to have as there was no food available. There was an RAF base nearby and the Americans came over and some of the woman had nylon stockings.

I remember the food rationing and how we had to have food coupons for everything and I remember going with my brother, when we were adopted, going to our new home and the ceremonial handing over of the rations. We also had to have our gas masks with us.

My adoptive father was an ARP Warden and I remember he had stirrup and had to make sure that it was working, in case there was any fires. They only had the stirrup pumps to put out fires and they used to carry small ladders with them to climb.

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