大象传媒

I was 9 years old in 1939 and Living with my family in South London. Everyone was, fearing war with Germany could occur. The London County Council were well organised and had begun to erect the Anderson air raid shelters, workmen dug a hole in our garden and assembled the shelter. My father and I were left to shovel the displaced earth to cover the top. Plans were also made to close the schools and evacuate the children away from London. During the school holidays we went to stay with an aunt in Brixham, South Devon; and when war was declared in September she offered to let me stay and go to the local school.

Once I learned to understand and speak the local accent I settled down well and enjoyed the countryside and cliff top walks (most beaches were mined). Later on many more Londoners arrived to be billeted which meant that the schools had to be shared on the morning/afternoon basis. At night we listened to German heavy bombers flying overhead on their way to attack Plymouth but we only had, fighter-bombers, trying to attack craft in the harbour. They were often driven off by intense anti-aircraft fire. One day on my way to school one flew low and jettisoned two bombs, one which hit the CO-OP, which I had passed a short time previously.

On D Day we watched craft leaving the harbour and planes and gliders flying overhead and we were all very excited. I was able to visit Devon for the 50th anniversary and June 2004 we were able to visit the places in Normandy where it all happened. Towards the end of the war I rejoined my mother in Merseyside where she had moved to join her family after my father was unfortunately killed serving the Navy. My story is not quite over as at Liverpool I was able to watch troopships bringing our men home and the Americans to the USA.

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