大象传媒

From the outbreak of war to the end of 1939 not a lot happened on the civilian front. Defence precautions were carried out and the public 鈥渃arried on鈥� so to speak. Rationing was first introduced in January 1940 accompanied by a dreadful winter. There was snow, frost, slush and misery for some months.

On a personal level, I passed the Grammar school entrance examination and for my efforts was given a place at Birmingham鈥檚 Central Grammar School. Incidentally the one and only time that I visited the school鈥檚 then premises, in Suffolk Street in the City Centre, was to be interviewed by the Headmaster.

Eventually was broke out in earnest by spring and Early summer. Europe was being invaded and overrun by the Wehrmacht. We were kept well informed by radio and newspaper.

It is quite true, what history tells of the appointment of Winston Churchill as prime minister. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. Even as a youngster I found his speeches electrifying.

The news was getting worse daily and culminating in the escape from Dunkirk. To this I will never understand why the Germans did not follow behind the boat and invade England.
Then came the air raids. At first the capital, seaports and airfields were attacked. The Luftwaffe finally reached the midlands. No one outside the midlands was aware that my beloved Birmingham had been attacked. The government had placed a 鈥楧鈥� notice on any such information. This lasted, believe it or not, for 30 years.

By now air-raid warnings (aka alerts) were becoming a regular feature of night times. The 大象传媒 had evidently moved to Bristol for the duration of the war. If the radio was turned on, it was possible to know, if an air-raid was pending as soon as transmission was lost. This was immediately followed by the sound sirens which warned us to take cover.

We lived behind and over a shop at this time. We (my mother and I) carried out a routine. I would gather together various belongings and carry them down to the shelter. My mother would shut the shop and follow me down. A number of neighbours who were extremely pleasant and cheerful. One of these, a young teenage girl named Dolly Allen was partially blind and played the accordion. Bizarrely it created a party atmosphere. In spite of all the unpleasantness going on outside.

This story was submitted to the People鈥檚 War site by Anastasia Travers a volunteer with WM CSV Actiondesk on behalf of Charles Crowe and has been added to the site with his permission. Charles Crowe fully understands the sites terms and conditions.

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