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I am sure that so many of us who experienced was at such an early age have been left with scars that have remained throughout our lives. Life is so precious.

I was evacuated just before war was declared. I lived in Wenlock Street, Islington, with my Father and Grandparents. My Mother was in hospital suffering from a breakdown. Most of the schools were evacuated. We were taken on green buses. I was nearly 9 and my brother was 4. I had a knapsack on my back, with gas masks over our shoulders and labels were pinned to our coats, with or name and school printed on them. We arrived at a place called Luton which seemed miles away to us. I remember sitting in the road, cuddling my brother, praying for a nice family to take us in. It was quite late in the evening before someone took us into their home. They were kind people but worried as they worked during the day.

As I have already said, war was declared a couple of days after we arrived in Luton. I was walking up and down on the front wall in the garden when I heard a wireless from nearby announcing that war had been declared. One afternoon I heard the siren sound so I picked up my little brother, ran down to the bottom of the back garden, jumped into the trench that had been dug for shelter and stayed there until the ‘all clear’.

My father came to see us and was very distressed that we were in Luton as there were many factories, etc.. Within a couple of weeks we were brought back to North Cheam in Surrey. My Grandparents left Islington and rented a house in Henley Avenue, North Cheam. The shock of the situation brought on ‘St Vitus Dance’ (akin to rheumatic fever) so I went into hospital for a few months. I was only discharged from The Downs Hospital because they needed the hospital for the wounded.

The German bombers came regularly. We all went to school but we spent many hours in the shelters. Perhaps the most frightening experience for me was the flying bombs (doodle-bugs) as they were called — a plane with no pilot — a massive flame drove it from the back forcing it to fly. While you could hear it coming you were safe, the noise was incredible, but when it stopped it glided for about a mile and then came down and exploded. One of the most terrifying experiences for me will remain with me always. I can still see it as if it was yesterday. I had been in the Morrison shelter all morning. Nothing was happening so I asked my Grandparents if I could come indoors. I went up into the front bedroom (everyone left their windows open in case of blast) and for some reason I walked over to the window and as I looked out a doodle-bug was diving down. I was fixed to the floor with fear. I saw it explode two roads away in Hamilton Avenue. My friend, her mother, her five brothers and sisters were killed. The family were named Bearan. The doodle-bugs were coming regularly, so the whole family went to stay with relatives in Martock, Somerset. My relatives had been evacuated from Plaistow in London. Life was lovely and quiet in Somerset. My father stayed in London because of his job. He worked for Cadburys but in the evening he was an ARP Warden. Most of the people for very little sleep but there was a marvellous togetherness.

The most wonderful feeling was V.E. Day. My Aunt and Uncle took me up to Trafalgar Square. Everyone was so overjoyed. A famous singer, I think her name was Zoe Gail, stood on the entrance roof to the Whitehall Theatre and sang ‘When the lights go on again all over the world’. The atmosphere was electric. People were doing the Conga and embracing everybody.

This is only a fraction of my experiences. Having no television in those days, we saw Pathe News at the cinema. We saw the tragic situation in Belsen, the battles fought at sea, the 8th Army advancement and all the various armies under terrific pressure. Such brave men and women. Many husbands and sons did not return home for the whole of the war.

We all coped very well with the rationing. I do remember that we were allocated 2oz butter a week. We had dried egg and dried milk. Everybody loved Spam. I hope that you will find this interesting reading. There are many stories to be told.

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