大象传媒

THE BEGINNING

I was 17 when War was declared. I had been conscious of sandbags being filled, air raid shelters erected in parks and, of course the evacuation of children on September 1st 1939 but was not really expecting that it would really happen -hadn't War been averted in 1938 when Mr. Chamberlain told us that he had ensured "peace in our time"?

I suppose by that fateful Sunday we were resigned to the inevitable and really had no conception of what would be involved. Mother, with whom we listened to the Prime Minister's announcement, started to cry but my sister and I took it much more light-heartedly. Almost immediately we had to go to the City Centre to collect our gas masks as the supply of the size which we needed had been exhausted when an issue had been made in Selly Oak earlier. With many others we queued at the Civic Centre (Baskerville House) and were roundly admonished by a bystander because we laughed at some ludicrous incident.

We were instructed that the Gas Masks had to be carried at all times and soon made a carrying case with a more substantial strap than the piece of cord fitted to the cardboard box supplied. These masks were carried faithfully for a while but as Gas attacks did not seem to materialise, this practice soon ceased.

EVERYDAY LIFE

At first all cinemas and theatres closed and but we went about our lives much as usual. Apart from a couple of 'false alarms' - were they mock alarms to get us used to the sound of the sirens? - the expected air raids did not materialise and so we were lulled into a sense of false security.

So that when the siren sounded one night, we were not really organised. Hastily we pulled on some warm clothes and made our way up our long garden to the Anderson shelter, which my Father, helped by my sister and myself, had erected earlier. Half way up the garden path my Mother dashed back to fetch her handbag! "If you'd got some money you would be alright," she said (I imagine she had less than 拢1 in it at the time).

Soon we got used to almost nightly alarms and to spending more and more time in the shelter. Our neighbours had become friends, having lived next door since Audrey and I were tiny babies and soon it was decided to add our shelter to theirs, so making one long shelter. Eventually Dad made bunk beds for us. Looking back, these could not have been very comfortable as they were extremely narrow and each night we took a bolster from the bed to act as a mattress as well as a pillow and blankets. Such things could not be left in situ, as the shelters, being partly underground, tended to be damp.

As the War progressed the nightly air raids lessened and we were glad to return to our beds. When raids started again, we were reluctant to return to the shelter in the garden, instead making makeshift beds in the rear living room, next to an internal wall which was supposed to be the safest place. I think that by now we had become philosophical and anyway, we were so tired that we just 'hoped for the best'

WORKDAYS

All young men, of course, had to register for National Service but, as we had no brothers and no close relations of the right age, this did not affect us much. After a while, however, this registration was extended to females, as we were all required to undertake 'work of National Importance'.

When my turn to 'register' came along, I was quite excited. Because I had Matriculation, I would be put on the 'Technical Register' and would be trained to do a special job. Some of the training, the leaflet said, would be at the University! My chance to gain some higher education! Alas! When my turn came to learn my fate, the interviewer seemed to have no idea of what was available in the area! I suggested that Kings Norton Factory Centre contained many engineering factories which might need my services. This information was obviously a mystery but I was told to report back in two weeks time. I realised afterwards - that the Interviewer only knew the name of one firm at Kings Norton and had arranged with that company to take seven females as 'Component Inspectors' -training to be given on the job.

One Monday morning we duly presented ourselves at 'Peerless and Ericsson' and, after surviving the shock of the cloakroom facilities (there were none), were put to work on a bench in the workroom. First some instruction in how to read a micrometer, then a brief explanation of how to read a drawing. A pile of small brass components were tipped on to the bench and we had to sort them into those whose measurements fell within the 'tolerances' shown by the drawing.

Working industriously we made five piles - one with the components - Trunions, we were told' with correct measurements; one with components which were a little too large, another whose measurements were very much too big and similar piles with measurements too small. To our amazement, the foreman who came to collect these needed components, swept them off the bench into one box remarking 'They only fit Air'! It was an eye-opener!

The working week was six days and the working day was 11 hours with a half-hours break. One year, when the need for supplies for the army was particularly desperate, we were told that if we wanted Christmas Day at home, we would have to work a twelve-hour day to make up the time, which would be lost!

I stayed at Peerless and Ericsson for the remainder of hostilities, but soon migrated to the administrative offices, their own employees having been 'called up' We worked factory hours and received factory pay as the company could claim our wages from the government under the 'Costs plus' arrangement. Eventually I became Assistant Buyer and spent much of my time with my head in an insulated hood to keep out factory noises, trying to locate tools or screws and bolts or bars of a certain size from suppliers.

FIRE WATCHING

As well as high explosive bombs, the enemy dropped many incendiary bombs and factories and public buildings were required to provide fire watchers to ensure that such bombs could be dealt with speedily. My first experience of this activity was to help to establish a rota to cover two Methodist Churches which stood nearly opposite each other in Selly Oak.

Each team consisted of two men and two women and three makeshift beds were provided -the fourth member to patrol the buildings. In a very short time, each team was reduced to three as members departed for the armed forces or were required to join other fire fighting teams or Air Raid Warden service. I fear that we did not do a great deal of patrolling -our working hours were long and food was non too plentiful so we tended to get sleep whilst we could. Later I was recruited by neighbourhood fire fighting teams and after a very short training, I was appointed as Sector Clerk to receive and transmit messages. By this time, night raids had lessened and I'm afraid that, once again, I often failed to attend the command post, being so tired that I had not heard the sirens.

WARTIME FOOD

Food began to be rationed quite early in the War and rations were reduced steadily over the years. Tea, sugar, meat and bacon, butter and lard, eggs all required the surrender of precious coupons and by the end of the war, milk and bread were added to the restricted items. In addition, there was an allowance of 'points' which could be used for other goods in short supply- jam, tinned fruit, tinned fish etc, Anyone who had a garden was anxious to grow vegetables and fruit to supplement the rations. I remember one occasion when Father harvested the first new potatoes and a picking of broad beans. These cooked with a tiny piece of bacon was luxury indeed.

Sometimes the word would go round 'the greengrocer has tomatoes' and a queue would form in a trice. Another supplement which was eagerly sort after, was 'offal' -liver, kidneys etc. not on ration Also rabbit, if you could get any. Recipes were published by the Ministry of Food suggesting ways which could be used to make the most of available food. 'Woolton Pie' was perhaps the most well known. Most of us had been brought up on a fairly restricted diet but the war certainly taught us not to be fussy eaters.

Clothes also were rationed and lots of girls gave up wearing stockings (before tights were invented) preferring to spend their clothing coupons on other things. These clothing coupons had to be surrendered for all kinds of drapery, sheets, pillowcases, towels etc. Homes which had been able to keep a reserve supply of such things were very glad of their forethought!

Rationing continued long after the War was over and indeed was most severe in 1946 onwards. When I married in 1947, I was allowed 'dockets' for three sheets with which to set up home. Also an allowance of dockets for furniture which was in very short supply. With my first allocation I was able to buy a bed, a wardrobe and two chairs -anything else having to be borrowed from friends and family.

CONCLUSIONS

Compared with residents in the centre of Birmingham, I did not suffer greatly, I suppose. True, we spent many hours in shelters and were often frightened as we could hear bombs falling. Food was scarce but rationing did not happen all at once, we gradually became used to short supplies and learned to 'make do and mend' our clothes. Hours were spent carefully unwinding knitting wool from worn jumpers and re-knitting into more attractive garments.

Experiences from those years have paid many dividends as we learned to be economical and certainly the sense of comradeship from many shared experiences was very valuable.

This story was entered by Jenni Waugh, 大象传媒 People's War Outreach Officer, on beahlf of Olive Stoker, who accepts the site's terms and conditions.

漏 Copyright of content contributed to this Archive rests with the author. Find out how you can use this.