大象传媒

Dennis Gurney was born in Fulham, West London. His father was a labourer and they lived in a small cottage near the gasworks where his father was employed.

In August 1939 Dennis, then aged 8 or 9, and his 5 year old brother were taken on a holiday to Wiltshire by the "Country Holiday Fund", a London charity for children from families with limited means. While there war broke out, so they had to remain at Bowden Hill where they were holidaying. Dennis and his brother were separated and housed with different families, although only half a mile apart. Joe, the father in Dennis' new family, was the head chauffeur and groom on a nearby estate.

St.George's School from Notting Hill Gate were also evacuated to Wiltshire, so Dennis and his brother joined them and attended school at nearby Lacock Abbey. Although they had some lessons in the Chapter House, most of their time was spent running around and playing in the open cloisters, where there was no escaping the elements. The amount of time playing outside through the harsh winter of 1941/42, in addition to the two mile walk to and from school each day, resulted in Dennis suffering a frostbitten toe. As a direct result, a bus was laid on for the children and one of the abbey rooms was opened for the children to use and heated. Dennis felt they were "in clover" then. The headmaster of St.George's was a kind man and Dennis met him several times after returning to London.

Dennis has fond memories of several other adults he knew from Bowden Hill. The young doctor who saved his frostbitten toe made daily visits up the steep hill in his Jaguar. One day he took Dennis into Chippenham to look at the shops. Although Dennis can't remember the shops, he remembers that doctor's great kindness. Many years later, Dennis went back and learned that the doctor had retired, though continued to drive Jaguars all his life.

The local vicar, ex-Indian Army, was a wonderful man; a widower with a young family. The vicarage, church, village hall and pub were all at the top of the hill. The boys had Sunday school in the village hall and they would all join hands with the vicar and walk up the hill to church on a Sunday morning. The boys really thought the world of him. Both Dennis and his brother also sang in the church choir. The organist made the 30-mile trip from Bristol at least twice a week in his Austin 7.

Dennis has no memories of going hungry despite the strict rationing. Mr.Highbrow, the butcher, came out twice a week in his little grey van, stopping at the top of the hill by the church. Dennis was sent out with the orders; Joe always asked for tripe or chicken and despite the shortage of fresh meat, the kindly butcher used to say that if it was for Joe, he might find some.

Three wealthy families lived near Bowden Hill. There were the Spicers at Spy Park who
were paper merchants - they had a large estate with their own church. Opposite the local church was the big estate belonging to Sir John Gladstone. As choirboys, dennis and his friends were given five shillings if they completed a year without any marks against them. If they incurred some sort of violation, they might be docked a penny or tuppence depending on the offence. Sir John donated half-a-crown and the church contributed the other half.

The man who owned the estate where Dennis lived was less pleasant. Dennis remembers him as a horrible man who didn't mix with the others, nor they with him. He was married to a Canadian who left him and returned to Canada. After the divorce he moved out of the manor house, which was converted into a girl's school, into one of the estate lodges. This enforced move didn't go down well with him. The matrons of the school used to change the bandages on Dennis' frostbitten toe and although he normally wasn't allowed to use the main gate, was given permisson by the matrons on account of his lameness. One daty the owner leapt out at Dennis and in a fit of rage demanded to know what he was doing using the front drive. When Dennis replied that he'd been given permission the owner retorted angrily that it was his estate and you do NOT use the front drive. Joe told the matrons who threatened to take action against the owner, but in any event dennis never used the front drive again, having been so frightened by the man.

There was a field nearby which had been land-mined. One night as Dennis was getting ready for bed on his way to the outside toilet, there was a huge explosion which threw him against the wall. Unhurt he recalls that Joe's toast was also thrown by the blast and that he was mostly concerned about locating it again.

Dennis remembers vividly seeing Bristol docks being bombed. It was a mass of flames. To a young boy it looked just like a glorious bonfire.

While at Lacock Abbey Dennis sat his examinations, after virtually three years without any education. He and his brother then returned home to Fulham in late 1942/43, before the end of the war. They were to witness some of London's bombing.

[Continued in "A Young Man in Wartime London"]

(PK)

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