大象传媒

I was born in the middle of the First World War and have one very small memory of Armistace Day, 1918. Having lived through the Second World War, the memories of that conflict are very vivid.

September 3rd 1939 - a definitive date in history: was a golden autumn day. Most people had a strong sense of foreboding and as we listened to our radios when Neville Chamberlain announced that we were at war in his rather feeble, unconvincing voice, most people expected death and destruction to rain down from the skies immediately.

I lived with my family in a quiet, suburban road in Birkenhead and my father had already started to dig a large hole at the bottom of our garden prior to erecting an air-raid shelter. He had struck solid rock, but as he had business dealings with Cammel Lairds, the ship-builders, he managed to 鈥榖orrow鈥� a 鈥榥avvy鈥� 鈥� a great strong man with a pickaxe, who laboured for most of that day digging an even larger hole in the lawn. My job was to keep him well supplied with beer and I had to make frequent visits to the local off-licence 鈥� I鈥檇 never been in it before!

A few days later I came home from work to find the end of our road nearly cut off by great concrete blocks. Apparently these formed tank traps, which were positioned right across the town and in the event of an invasion would 鈥� possibly 鈥� have held up a German advance from the sea. The very idea seemed crazy and incongruous to us at that stage, but later, when we heard of what was taking place in occupied Europe, it made some sense.

This story was collected by Lis Edwards and was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Becky Barugh of the 大象传媒 Radio Shropshire CSV Action Desk on behalf of Mrs Margaret James. The story has been added to the site with her permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

See more of Margeret's stories:

• 2) 鈥淭he invasion has started!鈥�
• 3) An incendiary bomb dropped down our bedroom chimney!
• 4) By then, Dad had perfected our air-raid shelter
• 5) It was shattered into a thousand pieces
• 6) Feathers fell like snow
• 7) The Wizard鈥檚 Den was one extraordinary exception
• 8) After the frantic years of the Blitz
• 9) Falling asleep in their food
• 10) It was bedlam!
• 11) Hardly Appropriate
• 12) Unsung Efforts

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