大象传媒

"This story was submitted to the People's War site by Sarah Bateson of the 大象传媒 on behalf of Pamela Tyrrell and has been added to the site with his permission. The author fully understands the site's terms and conditions"

I was eight when war broke out. I remember going to stay with friends in Kent. And remember the broadcast saying that war had broken out. The air raid warden came running down the road, blowing his whistle, with his helmet on, telling us to close our curtains. It was the middle of the day though - so we didnt' have our lights on!

We stayed down there for about four weeks. Then mother decided that as nothing was happening we'd go back home. I went back to school - lots of schools had combined for the children who were left in London. While I'd been away children had continued to be evacuated.

My Dad had gone into the Auxiliary Fire Service. After a few months he went back to work as a wine and spirit merchant. But later decided there was more to do than fight fires, and after resigning from the AFS, was called up. He was one of the last age groups to be called up.

I stayed behind in Streatham Hill with my mother. I was an only child and my mum was a firefighter by night. This meant she patrolled up and down the street, and was trained in the firefighting equipment.

When I went to secondary school at Streatham County Grammar in Welham Road, I remember getting off the tram and seeing a dog fight taking place overhead. I stood watching. Until the air raid warden came running out telling me to take shelter.

I don't remember being terribly scared until the flying bombs came overhead in 1944. Then you would just hear the engine cut out. And not know what was going to happen next. One fell at the back of your house. When we came out there was complete devastation, all the ceilings, windows and walls gone, wardrobes thrown across the floor.

At the end of the war I was 14. On VE day me and a group of friends were up on the Mall. We saw the Queen, and King and Princess Elizabeth and Margaret and Churchill. We came back to Streatham later on and celebrated around a massive great bonfire until the early hours of the morning.

My Dad was still in Europe and wasn't de-mobbed until the end of the year.

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