大象传媒

This story has been submitted to the People's War site by Linda Scurr for the Isle of Wight Library Service on behalf of Mrs. Rose Attrill and has been added to the site with her persmission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

My memories are of my school days at Bettesworth School at Ryde on the Isle of Wight. I remember that we had to go to a public house to pick up our gas masks and then had to practice putting them on at school. The air raid shelters were down under the ground across from the school so that鈥檚 where we had to go when the sirens went off. But we didn鈥檛 mind; we were happy to get out of lessons. The school and neighboring area were bombed in June 1941 and our school was totally wiped out. I recall seeing landmines in the streets beside the school and we went out to pick up shrapnel. A big house around the corner where the army was stationed was also bombed. We went to see our bombed out school and were glad it had happened because we would get out of classes! We were off school for 2 weeks, but then we were sent to other schools. It was eventually rebuilt as Swanmore Middle School.

When there were air raids while we were at home, we had to hide in a cupboard under the stairs since there were no shelters near-by. Mum had to go up to Scotland to see my father who was in the military police there, so I went to stay with my aunt in Cowes. I experienced numerous air raids and bombing while I was there; I recall many houses in Cowes being wiped out. When the air raid sirens went off, we had to go to stone built air raid shelters along the edge of the road. On one occasion, after an air raid, we emerged from the shelter to find that it had somehow shifted to the other side if the road with us in it!

When I was twelve, I was admitted to the hospital at Ryde with suspected meningitis. Because I was poorly, my father was fetched home to see me. When the air raid sirens went off while I was in hospital, they insisted on carrying me to the common room where had to use table bomb shelters.

Although we were a little scared when the bombing was going on, we also found it exciting. I recall having little in the way of gifts at Christmas time, (unlike the children today) but we were happy for whatever we received.

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