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SURVIVING CHILDHOOD IN WW2
Ellen M. S. Dobson

Northallerton in north Yorkshire was a well known County and market town with a population of approximately 3500. The principal sources of occupation were in agriculture or local government administration at the headquarters of the North Riding County Council. At the time of WW2 it was in the midst of for airfields within 10 miles of the town. These airfields were RAF Leeming, Dishforth and Topcliffe, all under Bomber Command and RAF Catterick which was under Transport or Fighter Command. RAF Leeming been the closest to Northallerton, was the airfield that I have most memories of. The town was used by airfield personnel for the leisure times, for socialising in the local hotels and the Saturday evening dances which took place each week in the Town Hall. RAF Leeming was known for its Wellington and Halifax bombers which the residents of Northallerton became familiar with each evening as they took off on their bombing raids. In summertime we would sit in our garden and watch them fly over our home and silently wish them all a safe return. In a lot of cases this didn’t happen as in the years 1943-45 RAF Leeming lost 161 Halifax bombers and 903 aircrew.

I was born at Langton, near Northallerton in September 1935 when my mother died nine days after my birth. My home was a semi-detached privately owned house at 3 Friarage Gardens off Brompton Road at the north end of Northallerton. Although I was only four years old in l939 we were left in no doubt even at that age as to what was happening around us. These are memories from all those 65years ago. The first thing I remember was the preparations in our house which was the placing of brown coloured tape, with glue on one side, in a cross pattern over all the windows. The idea being that should a bomb drop nearby the shattered glass would not go all over the room. All the curtains in the house where given a black lining to keep out light from within from showing outside. Some homes even made wooden shutters to place over the most used room in the house. Also noticeable to us was the erection of concrete barriers on all main road entrances into town. Street lighting was switched off and the only way to find your way in the dark was with the use of a torch. Road signs were also removed to make it more difficult for the enemy to find its way and any indication on a shop front showing the town name was obliterated with paint. A lot of home occupiers began building there own air raid shelters in their back gardens but we made our place of safety under the stairs!

I started school in l940 at the Applegarth Infants School. At this time we were all issued with a gas mask to be carried at all time within its own small cardboard box with a white cord to place it across your shoulder. As above ground brick public air raid shelters were built throughout the town we were instructed on what to do should the siren sound. This was a loud pitched sound which varied in tone producing a ‘wailing’ noise and indicated when an enemy aircraft was likely to come our way. When this aircraft was intercepted, shot down, or just went for another target then the ‘all clear’ would be sounded and we could then return to normal. Luckily in Northallerton the siren didn’t go off very often but we were subjected to some ‘practice runs’ so that we would march out of school in an orderly fashion and return to classes after the all clear. The shelters were not very inviting with just a torch light for illumination and a bucket just inside the entrance for toilet emergencies. However we had to grow up quickly and we soon got the message of what had to be done so that there was no panic in the real thing.

In February 1940 we were all issued with Ration Books, to be used on the weekly shop for sugar, bacon, butter, sweets followed by meat a couple of months later. Many other commodities were in short supply and getting them became a game of chance. Although bread wasn’t rationed the local bakers could only make a basic supply of bread and teacakes, so it was a matter of getting to the shops early in the morning for a share. There had to be no waste of unsold items. Sugar had to be banned from tea so that it could be used for making a cake or pudding. Clothing coupons were also issued and we were expected to mend and make do as much as possible. To a young growing child, outer clothes were bought larger than necessary and hems were taken up and let down as it became necessary.

We all had to be self supporting as much as possible and in my home the front lawn was removed and potatoes grew in its place. We grew all our own vegetables for as long as the seasons would allow with Brussel Sprouts and turnips being planted giving some form of vegetable in winter time. Over our back garden fence the local building contractor, who owned the land, gave us an allotment in which we planted more vegetables and potatoes. At an early age I was instructed in the process of pulling up weeds and helping to plant potatoes and sprinkle seeds. Although I never liked peas I was reprimanded for taking the peas in the pods but cooked peas were a different matter — something which I still detest to this day. The builder who owned our allotment land also had a big orchard and after he had got what he wanted we were told to help ourselves. Cooking apples were stored under the bed, plums, pears and eating apples where placed in Kilner Jars to be cooked, sealed and opened when needed. Some of these fruits were used in a winter trifles although cream was an unobtainable luxury. There were no exotic fruits around and it was not until after the war was over that I saw my first banana. In late summertime we also raided the hedgerows for blackberries (brambles) which were used in the making of an apple & bramble pie. Milk was delivered daily by a local farmer who came round the houses with a horse and cart. The milk was carried in a large milk churn which was then emptied into an enamel or stainless steel pail and ladled out in pint quantities into a jug left on the door step. He called everyday of the week as there were no fridge facilities in those days. To get an extra supply of eggs we would all take a walk to a local farm who kept us well supplied and in return my father would go along to help with the hay making and at harvest time.

My father, Alex Harris, had served in the First World War with the 9th Battalion of the Royal Fusiliers in France. He suffered from the effects of gas attacks and shell shock which seriously affected his health making it impossible to continue with his career as a jockey. After learning to drive a motor vehicle he worked at Smirthwaites Garage throughout the war, driving the firm’s coaches and cars for weddings and funerals. He was not called up for service in World War 2 though he did join the local Home Guard squad. This meant he patrolled on foot our streets on a rota to ensure that everyone kept their homes in darkness and we could all sleep safely. He was also trained in Special Constable duties but there were few events taking place in those days and most of the time he attended crash sites to keep the public away until the RAF salvage crew had completed their own report and clearance. Even in a time of war there was no shortage of souvenir hunters even before the aircrew remains could be removed.

During the war we all had to be self supporting. There was a shortage of everything and ones childhood was severely affected. We had no holidays whatsoever and any time spent away from home was just to stay with grandparents. My stepmother came from Dewsbury and she would take me there for the weekend occasionally to visit her family. Once a year my father came too as part of his two weeks annual leave for which he had to work six days a week for the rest of the year. He spent his second week attending to the garden and allotment. Although my father got some Saturday afternoons off he had to work on Sunday mornings taking the Sunday papers up into the Dales as far as Hawes to fulfil a contract of the firm he worked for. Our entertainment was to see a film occasionally; but of course most of these were made pre-war. For films suitable for me and accompanied by an adult, they were mostly a Walt Disney film or knock about comedians such as Abbot and Costello, Charlie Chaplin or George Formby. In the home the radio was our only means of keeping in touch with how the war was progressing along with the daily newspaper — ‘The Northern Echo’. On a winter’s evening the making of ‘clippy’ or ‘hooky’ rugs took place. There was always a small job for little hands such as sorting out the colours until one was older and was taught how to tie in the ‘clippy’ (cut remnants of discarded clothing). The pattern of the rug was drawn on a piece of Hessian that was attached to a wooden frame. I was also taught to re-use knitting wool by unpicking old woollens to be re-used in the making of a length of plain knitting squares. These lengths were eventually sewn together to make an extra bed cover.

At school the process of learning continued. Before I enrolled the school it had adopted the HMS Hood, a large battle ship at that time the pride of the British fleet, where older pupils would have a pen-pall. During my first Christmas at school we were all asked to bring a contribution to make up a l940 Christmas parcel to be sent to the ship. It was with much sadness that in May 1941 our ship got sunk by a single shell from ‘The Bismarck’ which passed through the upper deck before exploding in the ammunition hold. To the older children in the school this was shattering news. All but 3 of the 1,418 crew were killed.

On a Sunday evening we sometimes spent time at the home of my father’s brother who lived in the same town, where a game of cards took place, then it was a walk back home in the darkness. The general conversation was about the wars progress particularly as my cousin was serving with the army in Egypt at that time. We always got a Christmas card from him and he did come home safely after the war was over.

Christmas was an austere occasion as there were very few presents to buy but families made the best of it. Sugar was saved and if lucky you could manage to get some dried fruit to make a Christmas cake and Christmas pudding. One year I got a dolls pram, second-hand, and a new doll which had to be ‘dressed’ at home together with a colouring book and crayons. I never had a teddy bear until my son and grandchildren bought me one on a summer holiday in the Borders in the mid l990’s! I remember one year getting a home made cradle made by a friend who happened to be good at woodwork. As my father gave assistance to local farms in the summertime with their haymaking and harvest we were given a chicken for our Christmas dinner. The bird arrived on Christmas Eve complete with feathers and we would all help to pluck it after which my parents finished off the preparation by making a stuffing all ready to cook on Christmas Day. We always made homemade Ginger Wine at Xmas, the main ingredients (a secret recipe) was made-up at the local chemist and added to boiled water then bottled. This was done sometime before Christmas to bring out the flavours.

Nothing in the household was wasted as most households had a container for putting all kitchen waste in along with some vegetable tops from the garden. This was used to feed some pigs. Eventually our friendly pig-keeper would turn up on the doorstep with a piece of bacon for helping to fatten up his pigs. With no refrigeration food generally had to be eaten fairly quickly. My Granddad, who was a semi-retired Gamekeeper on an Estate five miles from Northallerton, would often send us a rabbit with my Grandmother when she came into Northallerton by local ‘bus for the Wednesday market. The rabbit came complete with it fur and my father would skin it that night ready to be made into a rabbit pie the next day.

Our daily lives continued as normal as possible in spite of occasional air raid warnings but it was mostly the Teeside area that received the actual bombings. For a short while we took in two evacuees from the Sunderland area but they cried so much for their parents that they had to be asked to come and take them home. In the early afternoon of the 2nd December l943 our Infants school was almost hit by a Halifax bomber as it crash landed on a bungalow about 200 yards away. Sadly all the 7 aircrew were killed. I was not at school that day as I was recovering from measles. My father continued with his helping hand on three farms during hay making time and the harvesting period and as I got older I was allowed to go with him although at my age there was little I could do help apart from helping to stack the sheaves along with other at harvestmen. The action I liked best was to sit alongside whoever was taking the laden cart, pulled by a heavy horses, back to the farm yard — no tractors in those days! Our farmhouse tea, usually taken before milking took place, was something to look forward to, as there was no shortage of good food to eat and plenty of fresh milk to drink.

Across Brompton Road from where I lived were open fields which led to a quiet flowing beck. My friends and I spent many hours here trying to jump over without getting our feet and shoes soaked. So it was with dismay as we watched the erection of new Base Hospital to treat all the wounded airmen from the airfields surrounding us. Most of the hospital took the form of long wooden huts and in summertime the ‘invalids’ would be sat outside in chairs or basket beds and we would always talk to them as we passed by. This hospital continued for many years in this form until it was completely rebuilt into the modern Friarage Hospital it is today. It still has a wing devoted to military personnel.

In l943 the government brought in the provision of school meals available to all school children to make sure we were given good food in our growing years. The cost of these meals was one shilling and eight pence per week, today’s equivalent of 8p. The children of service men were given free lunches. As my home was over a mile from school I was allowed to stay for my lunch so I was away from home all day.

In March l944 my stepmother sadly committed suicide - I was 8years old. For eight months I was sent to live with my father’s brother and his wife in another part of Northallerton. Here I had to make new friends and find new playgrounds but it wasn’t like the area around my home. In November l944 my father was to re-marry and I was allowed to return home and back to my old friends. As the war continued Hitler’s bombing incursions became less and less, but in March l945 a goods train some 500 yards from my home was cannon shelled by the Luftwaffe. We had heard the siren and took up our usual positions under the stairs where we could hear the shelling although at the time we were unaware of where it was happening. After the ‘all clear’ my father, who had already been outside, came to tell us what had happened. I think that this incursion by Hitler was the most worrying for the daily news reaching us from the battle front was that the war wouldn’t last much longer and we would all live safely once more.

Whilst the shadow of war was always present during my childhood years we were extremely lucky that Hitler’s aircraft only visited Northallerton twice. Even to this day we still remember the sounds of our own brave airmen as they flew over our home most evenings on their bombing missions - but there were many who did not return.

This completes the childhood story of my life during the WW2 Peoples War. I would now like to add a little about myself and family.
My name is Ellen Dobson (nee Harris) and I lived in Northallerton for just over 20 years. On my marriage I moved to Thirsk, Barnsley, Hull, Carlisle and finally Stirling in Central Scotland for the last 39 years. My husband and I had two sons. Our eldest son and his family have made their home in the Northallerton area as he was a RAF Flying Instructor at RAF Leeming for over ten years before which he was a pilot flying Victor Tankers in the first Gulf War. Our second son and family is a serving Police Officer in the Northern Constabulary and lives in Invergordan, Rossshire.

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