大象传媒

This story was submitted to the People's War site by Kathryn Haslam of CSV Media on behalf of Rosalind Graham Huntand has been added to the site with her permission. THe author fully understands the site's terms and conditions.

Bill and Beatrice Hatton lived Whitton with their two daughters who were aged 8 and 5. Bill was employed in a reserved job as a postman around the St Pauls area and was on fire watch patrol in the same area at night. This was dangerous work and several times he had to run out of burning and collapsing buildings. He also ran an allotment and grew vegetables in the back garden. He was very a busy man!

Bill's jobs meant he had to stay in London but the government and school were encouraging children to be evacuated. The girls school was St Edmunds RC Primary School and was being sent to Yorkshire.

However Bill and Beatrice did not want to sent their children to strangers and the family had an offer from Bill's sister to go and stay with them in Cardiff so they accepted instead of Yorkshire as this meant Beatrice could go too.

In order not to panic the children they simply told them that they were going on a trip to see Auntie. When they were on the train, they were told the truth! Beatrice said "I don't know if we will see Daddy again".

They arrived in Cardiff and had a party to celebrate their arrival with what they could gather together.
Josephine and Maureen had a really fun time - running wild with their cousins. As there was no compulsory education, they did not have to go to school.

Their auntie was busy running her dairy including deliveries and so Beatrice ran the house. Auntie's husband was away in the navy.
Soon, however, the Germans bombed Cardiff docks, and there was a night of terror for all. Beatrice said "if we are going to die, we will die together" and decided to bring the children back to London.
The family were reunited and all survived the war.

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