大象传媒

Some memories of the Second World War as a young teenager.

I was just 11 years of age when the war broke out in 1939, and I lived very close to the shipyards in Wallsend. My father worked for the North Eastern Electricity Board (as it was known then) and he was in charge of the training of young electrical apprentices. In those days it was normal to live very close to the job because there wasn't the ease of transport there is today.

My mother volunteered to be an ARP shelter warden, at the start of the war, and as such she was responsible for looking after people in an air raid shelter. When we heard the sirens warning everyone of an enemy raid overhead by German aeroplanes everyone rushed to nthis air raid shelter. We were obliged to stay there until my mother heard the "all clear " siren. Then we would all crawl home very tired, and usually cold and hungry. This became a nightly affair over what I seem to recall was a long period.

Each night I wore a "siren suit" which was a one piece suit which we zipped on very quickly over pyjamas. I can remember seeing people rushing into the shelters at the sound of the sirens carrying blankets and rugs, flasks of hot drinks, games and books etc. Everything had to be ready just to pick up and this became a nightly ritual.

We all quickly learned how to sing out loud together when we heard the guns. Although living very close to the river, which was always very full of ships and a ready target for enemy aircraft, we were fortunate to be generally saved from heavy bombing. I remember there were a lot of huge balloons flying in the air which helped to stop the enemy planes coming in loo low. These balloons were made of a silvery material which looked like plastic and they were known as barrage balloons and very often set on fire by enemy fire from the planes above them. They were huge and when the balls of flame fell they often set light to things below.

It was expected that people stayed in the air raid shelters for their own safety, but my father absolutely refused to move out of his bed at night and, although taking a great risk, he managed to get through the war without being injured.

My grandmother, aunts, uncles and cousins lived at Whitley Bay. On the onset of war my grandmother got a very strong premonition (that she had to move from the coast- so she found a house very close to ours in Wallsend. Wallsend was still a dangerous place because of the shipping but families lived very close together - quite unlike today when your aunts, uncles and cousins could live in different parts of the country, and indeed the world. As it happens, within days, my Grandmother's house at the coast was bombed and completely split into two. I would have lost all my family. Fortunately, there hadn't been time for a new family to move in.

When air raids became more and more frequent, and we were certainly living in a very dangerous area, parents were urged (and arranged) hy the government to have iheir children evacuated from their homes for their awn safety. I was sent to Alnwick and lived with a bank manager and his wife in a very nice house. They had no children of their own and I was very well looked after. There were very few houses owned in those days, people did not have a lot of money, and it was normal to give rent to a landlord, usually weekly. Wages were not high but there was plenty of employment as young men and women were conscripted to fight in the war therefore having to leave their normal jobs. People could not afford to own cars or have luxuries. There was no television so we had to listen to the radio to hear the latest war news. Only people with important jobs could own a telephone so there was little communication. It was also difficult to find one's way around as all the names of towns, streets etc. throughout the country were removed and identifying different places was difficult for people moving outside of their own familiar neighbourhood. This had to be done in case we had to face invasion by the enemy, which was very likely. We were very fortunate to win the war and must thank God for this.

The bank manager had a very good job and could afford a little car. Every weekend Mr & Mrs Forrest used to take me out to different parts of Northumberland, and 1 grew to love the county.

I was actually allocated to be taught in the Duchess School in Ainwick. which is housed just outside the Castle. It was a lovely house used for private female students and they had to give up full day tuition in favour of the evacuees. One week we would attend in the mornings and they would attend in the afternoons - the following week we would change round. When not at school we were taught to play tennis and hockey, and go for walks learning about flowers etc.

Despite excellent conditions, I didn 't settle in Ainwick as I became very homesick. Although very young, I was always wondering if my parents and family were alright and surviving the air raids. I remember becoming frightened that they would be killed and I would be left on my own. A number of children felt the same way.

My mother would visit me occasionally, though transport was difficult and journeys long, and} can vividly recall begging my mother to take me back with her - there were always tears.

Eventually, I was brought hack home and continued full-time education just when I could. If the constant air raids lasted long into the night, the schools were closed the following morning to allow the children to sleep during the day. Generally, air raids by the enemy were held during the darkness of night for obvious reasons.

My ambition was to become a teacher but it was difficult to assume regular education so I gave up the idea and eventually ended up becoming an office secretary and did very well after all. Again, in those days children generally left school at 14 years of age and were very fortunate to go on to higher education. Parents were usually professional people who could afford the expense. I actually passed my examinations and won a free entry to university, but my parents could not afford to send me as I needed uniform and equipment.

My husband, slightly older than myself, was evacuated to Felton and lived in a house within the sawmills, the owner taking in two boys. He did settle down there and he has told me that he almost felt sorry when he had to return home.

Having returned home from Ainwick I found that food was scarcer than ever and most of it rationed. We were issued books of coupons which we had to surrender when we bought food. Sweets were desperately short and during one period, we were rationed to 2 ozs. per week. My adult family would do without and give me their coupons to buy chocolate when it was available in the shops. It was a frequent sight to see housewives standing in queues for hours outside shops when word got around that there could he, for instance, bananas for sale.

We were all asked to give something up for the war effort, and my father and I deprived ourselves of sugar in our tea and cocoa (amongst other things), and I have never been able to face sugar in my tea since.

My husband was actually in London on VE Day, although it was not planned. He lost his father at the age of six and spent his earlier years in Cornwall where his father was born. Jim's mother and he used to try to go to Cornwall, when money allowed, to see the Cornish family. In those days, it took two full days to get to Land's End from Newcastle and they stayed overnight in London with relatives. It was during one of these journeys that Jim and his mother found themselves staying overnight in London when the end of the war was declared and I can recall Jim vividly remembering the exuberance, Joy and utter relief of all the Cockney people. He says they were just swept along by excited people all singing and dancing in the streets. People just didn't know how to express their relief, and American soldiers and airmen were embraced, as they did a lot to help us.

My favourite uncle volunteered to join the Merchant Navy, and I can remember how distraught my Grandparents and family were. Being so young, I dtdn 't understand the danger. My uncle's ship was torpedoed by submarine in the Atlantic. He saved himself in the sea and rescued some of his shipmates by hanging on to them while swimming to a lifeboat. He was awarded the MBE, and we were all very proud of him.

My saddest memory was seeing a telegraph boy cycling up the street to a neighbour's house. This usually meant a telegram from the War Office announcing a son or daughter either having been killed, injured or lost in battle. Everyone would wait to see where the telegram boy would stop, and after a short while, my mother and neighbours would run to the house to desperately hear the news - ready to console the family concerned, if necessary. You can imagine a telegram boy was not popular. Having said that, sometimes a member of family away fighting would do his (her) best to send a message to say he was on his way home on leave for a short while. Everyone seemed to be in uniform during those dark war days. Either dark blue (navy) or khaki (army) or light blue (air force). We also had the Home Guard (men volunteering to man guns etc. dressed in khaki), nurses and ARP and NAAFI personnel etc.

My happiest memory, I would say, would he everyone giving support. There was always someone there offering help when needed. Just willingly giving and sacrificing always. Doors and windows in houses were never locked against anyone. Burglary, mugging and crime generally were never thought of - there was no such thing - and always people helping and supporting each other in their hour of need.
At the end of the war, there were big street parties with flags and banners/lying everywhere. Long trestle tables would go the length of the streets and men would bring out the chairs from their houses, whilst women scraped food together to provide a "feast". I recall there was lots of laughter and dancing in the street - everyone was happy and so relieved that war conditions would gradually disappear.
My only regret during the years following is that I see such conditions today with drug-taking, stealing, bullying etc. Wartime was a worrying time - but the folks with their backs to the wall, showed their stiff upper lip and helped one another.
I am very proud to say I still have good friends today whom I met during the war!

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