大象传媒

My mother did not talk about the war much. I think this is worth noting down for future generations.

She was expecting a baby in 1943 with a husband away in the Army. Unfortunately she had complications and was rushed from Redditch to Birmingham 15 miles by a racing ambulance. This baby was full term and she lost her little boy.

In those days the mother did not even see her baby and she was only told by her sister what he looked like. There were no allowances made for proper grief for that new life,who although didn't survive outside the womb, had lived for 9 months within my mother.

Fortunately one year later she had me,also in a Birmingham hospital. She had me by caesarian section and so that was not straight forward, but she was glad my father was given compassionate leave to care for me and herself.

One snippet of how basic things had become she told me that then she had to use cups with no handles. The extra work involved in making the handles was of course considered to be unnecessary when a war was on.

How she loved seeing her first grandchild, my daughter Gail when she was a few hours old in a Banbury hospital. She marvelled at how you could see her through the clear sided cot.

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