大象传媒

I remember queing in Woolworth's for hours for a lipstick!

No paper bags, no fruit (if there was it went to children or the elderly).

The Cadbury's factory, single paper wrapping, gas masks we made smelled horrible and of rubber.

The outbreak of war I had just left school and started my first job in the building trade. I joined the ARP service as a messenger. When I was old enough I joined the LDV Home Guard stationed in the Stockfield Road. I then went on army anti aircraft Cockshutt Hill Sheldon. We were over-manned so we came back to Stockfield Road. They had just bombed the Golden Eagle we were fire watching. We checked the nearby property Lyons tea room on the third floor we bought down a small churn of milk for the fireman and ARP personnel, we checked local properties. Then dawn broke so our job was finished we made our way along high street and in front of us we saw fur coats were strewn across the road. We collected them and put them on the London fur company floor. An then reported it to the police and made our way home to prepare for work. Then at my 18th birthday I volunteered to join the ray as my other 3 brothers were already in the services.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Marjorie Bidmead and has been added to the site with his permission. Marjorie Bidmead fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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