大象传媒

This story has been written onto the 大象传媒 People鈥檚 War site by CSV Story gatherer Jessica on behalf of Barbara South. They fully understand the terms and conditions of the site.
I was born in Plymouth in 1931 - my father stationed in the Royal Marine Barracks in Devonport. I was eight when the war started. My father was a Royal Marine on the Reserve so we knew we would 鈥檒oose him鈥� - he would be first to be called up. He found us a cottage, near our Grandparents because we would be better all together in Aston, Birmingham. We went on a bit of a holiday to Bristol during the war, while we were there they bombed all the churches. We went back to Birmingham and had a lot more bombing. As a child I never remember being frightened. All the kids I mixed with - I was in the Girl Guides - knew we would win!
Within the last 12 months - 1944 - we came to Plymouth to visit our Aunt and had a lot more bombing. We were there for six weeks. During the war, in Birmingham, I used to be on Aston Cross to stand in the queue for the bacon and the bread; this would take about three hours. I did it because my mother had two younger children, a daughter who was 6 years younger and a son 8 years younger than me.
I had rheumatic fever during the war - I was just turned 14 when the war ended. My father was torpedoed twice during the war - in the North Sea. The family doctor advised he got out of Birmingham because he had pneumonia. I don鈥檛 know how many times he suggested Shropshire and that was where we managed to get. That is where most of the family still lives. My brother and I escaped to Cornwall; he was a Royal Marine like my Dad. I had an Uncle in every department of the services - one was in the Medical Corp. attached to the army, one was in the RAF, one was in the Navy a petty officer and my father in the marines. My Grandfather wanted to see them all back safely - he did.
My school was right next to the HP Sauce Company. In the winter, we stood up against the wall to keep warm and when bombed, there was no water for weeks so I fetched six chests of water from the factory for families around who needed it. They reckoned that is why I got rheumatic fever! We had no shelter in our garden and we had to go next door. We had to climb up a ladder and over a six to eight foot wall - only a four to five foot drop on the other side. Being the eldest I was responsible for the younger ones, I got over there first, opened the door, lit the candle and them went back to the wall to collect Maureen, my sister, took her over and down to the shelter then go back to the wall for my baby brother. My mother always said,
鈥淒on鈥檛 ever come back for me,鈥� but being inquisitive I did go back. One night we saw this great ball which was on fire, coming straight on top of us, this was very upsetting - my mother blacked out for a few minutes - I held onto her. Luckily, the bomb landed about 3 miles away.

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