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I clearly remember the ‘Declaration of War’ on 3rd September 1939 — it was a Sunday morning and we heard the declaration on the radio by the Prime Minister, Neville Chamberlain. This signalled six years of unusual and extreme activity. For my part I was much too young for Army Service but I recall experiences I will never forget - blacking out of all windows, masked headlamps on all cars, food rationing, gas masks and gas mask drill at school!

Air Raids were very frightening but apart from a few bombs on Crewe and the odd stray ones a bit nearer to us, our regular experience was the drone overhead of bomb laden German planes on their way to Liverpool and Manchester. I remember the school work was badly interrupted for war time matters such as ‘Dig for Victory’ which resulted in the digging up of almost the whole of the 2 acre sports field to grow potatoes, carrots, onions, peas etc to provide for school dinners — no Jamie Oliver around then! We also kept pigs, rabbits and bees — oh and didn’t they sting- but it was all in the best interests of winning the war.

We were perhaps fortunate to live on a farm and have our rations supplemented by our own produce and the permitted killing of pigs for home consumption. We became well acquainted with German Prisoners of War billeted in a number of local camps and on my father’s farm we employed a German Officer who was both a nice person and excellent worker and during the 2-3 years he was with us was practically a member of the family.

The war years were long and sad days with a number of family friends and other local young men losing their lives serving their country. When the war ended in May 1945 it was therefore a joyous time but tinged with sadness for those who had lost loved ones. I remember the rejoicing in Nantwich with street parties and dancing in the Square.
I am writing in the early part of the 21st century and trust it will be a century without war.

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