大象传媒

These stories were submitted to the People's War Site by a volunteer, Jacqueline Scott, on behalf of Vicky Buonvino and have been added to the site with her permission. Vicky fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Vicky's stories below are her memories of her war time experiences and are recalled in the first person as she presented them to me.

Outbreak of War

In 1938 I was 14 and had just left school to work as a junior in an office in Gerrard Street, near Leicester Square. There was talk of a war at that time- I think they referred to it as 鈥渢he Emergency鈥�. I remember Mr Chamberlain had been to Germany and came back waving a piece of paper. We were led to believe that everything was fine. We had a German working with us at the office, representing his company, but as he was in the German Air force Reserve he was called back never to be seen again. Suddenly this nice, friendly person was to become our enemy.

When war was declared on 5th September I was at home with my family. We had just had breakfast and heard the news on the Radio. We were living on the second floor of a block of flats in Battersea. Suddenly the air raid siren sounded and people ran out onto the balconies, not quite believing what was happening. The siren was situated on top of the police station, which was in direct line with our flat. My mother started to cry, saying the so and so's are here already, threatening my sisters and myself that she would kill us if they ever did come. Being so young and naive I couldn't understand why!?!

Bomb Shelters

Bomb shelters had been built outside in the grounds of the flats. It wasn't until the bombing got bad that we started to make use of the shelters. Certain flats were allocated to different shelters. Make-do toilets were erected in one corner, consisting of a buckets surrounded by sacking. Whenever anyone went to use one, those sitting outside sang!! Our windows in the flat had special sticky strips over them and black-outs had to be used to prevent any light showing. A familiar cry in the evenings was the wardens yelling 鈥減ut that light out!鈥�

My mother was quite terrified when the siren sounded, and she hurried so fast to get down to the shelter that I'm sure she got there before the siren finished. I was in the bath one day when I was surprised to hear her running along the balcony when the siren hadn't sounded. I'm afraid I was the culprit: I was singing in the bath - the 鈥� Andrews Sisters song 鈥淒own In the Valley, the valley so low-ow-ow鈥� which she took to be the siren. So much for my singing!!

Dad and I got tired of going down to the shelter every night, so we decided to make up a bed on the floor under the table. One night, however, it was really bad- a land-mine landed up the road, not too far away. So we thought it was safer to go down the shelter after all. The same thought had occurred to many other tenants. The night the City was badly bombed, all around St Paul's, we stood at the top of the shelter looking at the red sky, knowing something terrible had happened. The papers the next day confirmed it.

Dunkirk

When the troops were being evacuated from Dunkirk we were told that the trains were stopping for a short time at Wandsworth Road Station, just round the corner from us. So my friend and I went along the balconies in the flats and collected some money, with which we bought oranges, cut them in half and handed them to the troops. It wasn't much, but they were so grateful.

Work

I left my first job in 1941 to join the Civil Service, working at the Crown Agents for the Colonies at Millbank. It wasn't quite so far to travel, which was a good thing because when the bombing got bad, very often the buses were few and far between and I travelled to work on the back of a lorry or anything that pulled up to offer lifts.

Sometimes at the office we were asked if we could stay and work late at night, usually when ships had been destroyed, as the Colonies had to be supplied. Beds were set up in the basement and it was to our advantage as the food provided was really good.

Enlisting

Seeing so many people in uniform made me want to join up. I tried the WAAF, but they only wanted cooks and balloon operators at that time, so I went along to the ATS. I didn't want the war to end before I was enlisted. I had to wait until 18 _ because I couldn't get my father to sign the papers. I was sent to do my training at Pontefract, sharing a barrack room with many others- a new experience for me and you had to be quick to get to the ablutions! I was quite disappointed when I was given my uniform, as it was a terrible fit. The cap looked awful but we were given some tips on how to get it into shape. They soon had us looking smartly turned out. The time at training camp was very busy, drilling, getting vaccinated, and most of all cleaning buttons and shoes.

W/256459 Private Buonvino
I was posted to Windsor after my training where I worked as a Secretary for 3 Officers and occasionally a General in the HQ Royal Artillery Training Establishments. Occasionally the General had to go to the War Office in London and I went with him. One day we travelled by car only to find a very foggy London, and it was decided that we couldn't go back to Windsor in the evening as the fog was too thick. It was suggested that I find accommodation at one of the Service Clubs but as my home was in London I said I could make my way there by underground. That night we had a message that my sister had been bombed-out, so Dad and I went to bring her and the children back to us. My bed that night was on the floor as my sister and the children had my room. Unfortunately she was bombed out twice and my other sister was caught in a bombed shelter at her workplace, but luckily survived.

Our billet at Windsor was very nice in a large house by the river. We had a boathouse, with punts and rowing boats which we had permission to use. It was fun taking a trip either to Windsor or the other way to Maidenhead, and we took our old wind-up gramaphone with us. We sent home for our cycles so we were able to get to the Forces canteen in Windsor or Maidenhead. We went sometimes across the road to the farm to help out with the harvest.

W/256459 Private Buonvino Off
To Mainland Europe.

When we were asked for overseas volunteers my friend and I put our names down, thinking that we would be going to France, but they had enough volunteers for France and asked if we'd be prepared to go to Austria. How could we refuse??!! The Allied Commission for Austria was being formed at St Paul's School, Hammersmith and we were billetted at Barons Court. That was ideal for getting into London to go to the Stagedoor Canteen, to see some good entertainment, and to go The Queensbury Club at Leicester Square, to attend Radio shows eg Glen Miller broadcasts to the troops. We were disappointed when some of our friends left on an advance party but our turn came and in May 1945 we went to Liverpool to join the troopship S.S. Orontes to go to Naples. Unfortunately I was a very poor sailor and was terribly sea sick. I spent a few days in a ship's hospital and lost my voice. We were not far from Naples (thankfully) when we heard on the radio that the war in Europe was over. Hearing about the celebrations in London made us rather homesick, but the lights were turned on on the ship and dancing was quickly arranged. The soldiers far outnumbered the ATS so we were being 鈥渆xcused鈥� every few steps. Those of our party who had gone on the Advance party were already in Rome enjoying the fun. From Naples we went on open trucks, through Cassino, to Rome, which was to be our home before going onto Vienna a few months later.

These stories were submitted to the People's War Site by a volunteer, Jacqueline Scott, on behalf of Vicky Buonvino and have been added to the site with her permission. Vicky fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Vicky's stories below are her memories of her war time experiences and are recalled in the first person as she presented them to me.

Outbreak of War

In 1938 I was 14 and had just left school to work as a junior in an office in Gerrard Street, near Leicester Square. There was talk of a war at that time- I think they referred to it as 鈥渢he Emergency鈥�. I remember Mr Chamberlain had been to Germany and came back waving a piece of paper. We were led to believe that everything was fine. We had a German working with us at the office, representing his company, but as he was in the German Air force Reserve he was called back never to be seen again. Suddenly this nice, friendly person was to become our enemy.

When war was declared on 5th September I was at home with my family. We had just had breakfast and heard the news on the Radio. We were living on the second floor of a block of flats in Battersea. Suddenly the air raid siren sounded and people ran out onto the balconies, not quite believing what was happening. The siren was situated on top of the police station, which was in direct line with our flat. My mother started to cry, saying the so and so's are here already, threatening my sisters and myself that she would kill us if they ever did come. Being so young and naive I couldn't understand why!?!

Bomb Shelters

Bomb shelters had been built outside in the grounds of the flats. It wasn't until the bombing got bad that we started to make use of the shelters. Certain flats were allocated to different shelters. Make-do toilets were erected in one corner, consisting of a buckets surrounded by sacking. Whenever anyone went to use one, those sitting outside sang!! Our windows in the flat had special sticky strips over them and black-outs had to be used to prevent any light showing. A familiar cry in the evenings was the wardens yelling 鈥減ut that light out!鈥�

My mother was quite terrified when the siren sounded, and she hurried so fast to get down to the shelter that I'm sure she got there before the siren finished. I was in the bath one day when I was surprised to hear her running along the balcony when the siren hadn't sounded. I'm afraid I was the culprit: I was singing in the bath - the 鈥� Andrews Sisters song 鈥淒own In the Valley, the valley so low-ow-ow鈥� which she took to be the siren. So much for my singing!!

Dad and I got tired of going down to the shelter every night, so we decided to make up a bed on the floor under the table. One night, however, it was really bad- a land-mine landed up the road, not too far away. So we thought it was safer to go down the shelter after all. The same thought had occurred to many other tenants. The night the City was badly bombed, all around St Paul's, we stood at the top of the shelter looking at the red sky, knowing something terrible had happened. The papers the next day confirmed it.

Dunkirk

When the troops were being evacuated from Dunkirk we were told that the trains were stopping for a short time at Wandsworth Road Station, just round the corner from us. So my friend and I went along the balconies in the flats and collected some money, with which we bought oranges, cut them in half and handed them to the troops. It wasn't much, but they were so grateful.

Work

I left my first job in 1941 to join the Civil Service, working at the Crown Agents for the Colonies at Millbank. It wasn't quite so far to travel, which was a good thing because when the bombing got bad, very often the buses were few and far between and I travelled to work on the back of a lorry or anything that pulled up to offer lifts.

Sometimes at the office we were asked if we could stay and work late at night, usually when ships had been destroyed, as the Colonies had to be supplied. Beds were set up in the basement and it was to our advantage as the food provided was really good.

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