大象传媒

Sat 22nd Jan 1944 - I felt half dead all day as we had another warning from 4.18 to 5.56 and Gillian refused to go to sleep afterwards. Apparently they made the biggest raids in London and the Home Counties for over a year. Percy had his Annual Meeting this morning and sat about all the afternoon half asleep for he hasn't been to bed till the small hours for nights.
Fri 28th Jan - The news today is mainly concerned with the brutal treatment of our prisoners in Japanese hands. I can't stop thinking about it.
Fri 4th Feb - We had a warning from 4.13 to 6.06am and never have I heard as much gunfire over this town. Percy refused to get up but I took the children to the shelter.
The noise kept them both awake and we got no more sleep even after the all-clear had gone. It makes you feel rather foul all day, added to which was the fact that the gale is blowing harder than ever. I hardly liked to take them out this afternoon but it is the end of a rationing period and I had some points left. Gillian was just about all in when we got home.
Thurs 10th F eb - We got up to find it snowing and it has continued to do so most of the day in storms. What was most maddening though was our aircraft which have been going and coming all day. The drone of engines has never ceased. Also the news from Italy is bad. The beachhead which we have recently established at Anzio shows every sign of becoming a strategic withdrawal. And if we can't invade one little bit of Italy how shall we ever get into France?
Fri 11th Feb - Tonight while Percy was at Youth Centre there was a warning from 7.59 to 8.30 with a crash from 8.12 to 8.24. Unfortunately something appears to have gone wrong with the siren for the crash sounds just like the all-clear and nobody ever knows what is supposed to be happening.
Sat 19th Feb - It was somewhat of a shock to get a warning at about 12.00am. The sky was very cloudy and they came over in swarms. They seem to have given London a real packet. It's awful to have it all beginning again like 1940.
Sun 20th Feb - It has been a black day with a bitterly cold wind blowing and the news simply terrible - 79 bombers lost over Germany last night and Casino railway station evacuated the day after we had taken it. To think we were ever feeling optimistic over the war.
Wed 23rd Feb - At 11.52 the sirens sounded and then began such an invasion of Jerries as we have never experienced before. Percy couldn't get out to go on duty for some time because of falling shrapnel. I really thought our last hour had come but they passed over us but set Colchester well alight. London had its worst do for ages. About 175 planes all told, the news says tonight.
Tues 14th Mar - Tonight the sirens sounded at 9.58 and soon there was plenty going on. The crash was on from 10.17 to 11.35. They were going to London mainly but dropped incendiaries at various places near here including Grundisburgh and Capel.
Tues 4th Apr - I spent most of the evening making Easter Eggs with soya flour marzipan. Gillian has never even seen an Easter egg. Is does seem pathetic.
Wed 19th Apr - It was a fine night with no moon so I was not surprised to hear the siren at 12.25. I didn't move the children at first but there was so much activity that after about half an hour I did. There was a terrific barrage over London. The all-clear went at 1.53. There was another warning from 4.10 to 4.25 but we didn't get up. During the morning the siren made two mild noises and nobody knew whether it was meant to be a warning or not. Mrs Worsnop was afraid to put her cleaner on and Percy says the girls at school went to the trenches.
Thurs 20th Apr - We heard from Muriel that they won't allow her any petrol for her car until after May because of the war situation.
Wed 26th Apr - We had a warning from 6.41 to 6.55. Quite alarming to have a daylight one. I think the invasion must really be getting close. They are putting up mysterious signs on the roads and the convoys seem to have stopped except for lorries of soldiers.
Fri 28th Apr - I went down town while Mrs Scase was here and was lucky for once, getting two 录 pound of ham from two shops where I am registered.
Fri 5th May - When Percy came home he had heard that there is a Proclamation on the Town Hall but nobody we know has been able to get near it. Rumours are many, the most popular being that all men in the town between 18 and 31 are to be called up.
Sun 7th May - Tonight out Whitton way a gun began to fire and kept it up for over half an hour. Life nowadays is all alarms and excursions.
Sat 13 th May - Percy took Gillian down town all morning and came back with a seat to fix on his bike for her. So after dinner we went for a picnic with Roger on my bike and Gillian on Percy's. We ate our tea somewhere near Henley and came home by Witnesham.
Fri 19th May - I went out shopping and got some American bacon off the ration. Mr Hill from the Central Boys was killed in his garden as he was cutting his hedge when a passing tank knocked down a tram standard which fell on him.
Tues 23rd May - Another warning from 3.15 to 3.45am. Percy had to go on duty. A Jerry dropped a bomb out Stowmarket way. Roger refused to go to sleep again for ages, and we felt like nothing on earth this morning.
This afternoon I went down to the Rest Centre on Norwich Road and got our new ration books. We had hardly to wait at all. If this war goes on long enough we shall all become really efficient.
Tues 6th Jun - Once more the balloon has gone up, only this time it's our balloon. D-day, H-hour and all the rest of it has come at last and our troops have landed in France again after four weary years. They seem to be mainly in Normandy and are fighting in Caen. Mr Churchill says all is going well. We have done nothing but switch the wirelesses on and off all day as the news has filtered in. It all seems a bit of an anti-climax Climax in a way for we expected them to bomb us to glory as soon as we started, but so far not a plane has crossed the coast. All the same I am not looking forward to tonight which is Percy's night on.
Fri 9th Jun - I did my shopping this morning and went down again this afternoon to buy Roger a coat - but the prices! The one I really wanted was 拢3 but I had to compromise with one at 拢2 (38/2 to be exact).
Percy was at what Gillian calls the You Centre all evening and I very unwillingly got out my sewing machine and did a bit of dressmaking.
Fri 16th Jun - I went out and did my shopping this morning but shouldn't have gone at all happily if I had known that the Germans have begun using pilot-less aircraft against this country. They announced this on the 1.00 pm news and said we might be attacked day or night. They have been sending them over at intervals it seems ever since last night but none have come here yet although we had a warning this afternoon from 4.12 to 4.27 with a crash from 4.13 to 4.20. It has quite spoilt everything for we had been able to relax in daylight. Percy says they won't keep it up long. May he be right?
Wed 21st Jun - Two warnings - 12.20 to 1.2 and 5.50 to 6am. Nothing happened here but the Germans still seem to be sending over plenty of doodle-bugs.
Tues 27th Jun - Mrs Scase, who last night had a niece arrive from London, having been bombed out, related such terrible tales about the flying bombs that I have been in a state of nerves ever since.
The weather cleared somewhat so finally we started out for the library. We had just got on to Cotswold Avenue when the siren went at 3.17. I carried on though I was scared stiff until we got to Broom Hill air-raid shelters and there I stayed till 3.27 when the all-clear went. I was glad we didn't have to go in as it was full of wet schoolchildren who had been swimming in the baths. Later I met Mrs Cheyne and Mrs Webster who said that during yesterday's warning a doodle-bug crossed the coast at Trimley and came down at Dunwich. Looking at the map afterwards I found this to be geographically impossible as they fly straight from the Calais area.
Mon 3rd Jul - We have taken Siena. The net is closing round Hitler but I do wish we could do something about the flying bombs. Life in and around London must be absolute hell.
Wed 5th Jul - It has been a really summery day so as Percy had the afternoon off we cycled to Woodbridge. The traffic on the main road was the drawback, otherwise it was very enjoyable. The aerodrome at Martlesham is a lovely sight to watch with American fighters going up every few minutes.
Sat 8th July - We had two warnings in the night - 1.40 to 2.3 and 4.5 to 4.25. Both times we yanked the children down to the shelter. It makes you feel worn out all day. The weather has been marvellous but we couldn't summon up energy to go out.
Thurs 13th Jul - Muriel wrote to say she is coming on Sunday to bring us some strawberries which is an awful nuisance as I have used practically all my sugar till next month.
Fri 14th Jul - I got some shrimps, the first this season, 1/- a pint as compared with 4d at the beginning of the war!
Tues 18th Jul - Tonight Percy was at home doing lots of work till at 10.20 the siren went, following immediately by the crash. Very soon we heard the sound of what we knew must be a doodle-bug though we had never heard one before. It sounds like a train rushing through the air. It came right over the town and we watched it drop out Stonham way. The crash all-clear went at 10.29 and the all-clear at 10.32 so I took the children who were both wide awake, back upstairs, but we had another warning from 10.50 to 11.20 so I am going to sleep with them in the shelter as it is Percy's night on.
Fri 28th Jul- I had to go to the Food Office where they now treat expectant mothers like royalty. I find I get extra meat, milk, eggs (meal in our case as we keep poultry), fruit juice and cod-liver oil and 60 clothing coupons. Percy took the children on the park where there is a fair and circus.
Thurs 3rd Aug - We had a warning from 2.49 to 2.59, Percy's night on again. Shortly after the warning we heard the doodle-bug come down - the nearest to here yet, I should say. We got up to grey and cloudy morning and had another warning from 10.30 to 10.40. A distant crump this time.
Wed 9th Aug - The Americans are really moving in France. Today they have reached Angers and Le Mans. We seem to be stuck near Caen.
Wed 16th Aug - Just as I was blacking out there was a terrific explosion which seemed to nearly blow the front door in. Later there were several minor ones. Percy said it sounded like an ammunition dump going up at Wattisham.
Mon 21 st Aug - The news continues to be good. The people of Paris have risen against the Germans and the French Forces of the Interior are being a great help. The Americans have crossed the Seine and we have thousands of German prisoners.
Wed 23rd Aug - Just before nine some kind of explosions began and have gone on intermittently ever since. The whole house kept shaking and I thought the front door would burst open. Paris has fallen today and there has been much playing of the Marseillaise but it would be more help to us if they had captured the flying bomb bases.
Thurs 31 st Aug - We had to get up from 4.27 to 5.15 during which time we had the worst flying bomb attack we have ever had in these parts. Percy declared that they were all coming down on the town but actually none of them did though they were all quite near. I have felt very nervous all day and wished it were not Percy's dinner day.
Fri 1st Sep - We had a warning from 2.15 to 2.40 and heard a flying bomb come down but it seemed a long way off and I was astonished to learn that it came down on the Gainsborough Estate - 32 casualties, 1 fatal.
Mon 4th Sep - We have entered Brussels today and crossed the Dutch frontier. The flying bomb coast is cut off and everyone seems to think that the danger is over but I can't see that it can be until all the sites are mopped up.
Thurs 7th Sep - News today that there is to be no blackout this winter except during alerts. Fire-watching and civil defence are to be scrapped except in Southern England. They also say flying bombs are finished except possibly for "parting shots". We seem to be massing for the final assault on Germany.
Tues 12th Sep - News this morning that we are fighting five miles inside Germany. The R.A.F. and the Americans have been giving them hell. Le Havre has fallen.
Wed 13th Sep - Mr Saunders came over here with his brother just before bedtime. The brother has just become engaged to a girl in Barnstaple and he wanted to ring her up. It cost him 7/6 so I think it must be a case of real love.
Sat 16th Sep - Percy had an N.D.T. Committee meeting this morning after we had had a warning from 5.05 to 5.25. Three air-assisted flying bombs came over but nobody seems to know where they fell.
Sun 17th Sep - We watched the airborne troops go out in hundreds of gliders this morning to attack Holland - a historic sight. How our fortunes have changed.
Mon 18th Sep - Another far larger air-fleet of supplies and reinforcements has been going out today. The wireless says there was a convoy of over three miles.
I put Gillian to bed in the shelter as Percy was at Youth Centre. Then if the siren went I should only have had one to move. I also blacked out for there are too many other things to think of when the siren goes.
Wed 20th Sep - We had a warning from 1.32 to 2.38. Four doodle-bugs came over, one very near. I was quite terrified. Percy was on duty and he says it was 200 yds away, which I could hardly believe. The noise is indescribable.
Tonight there was another warning from 8.40 to 9.41. The crash was on all the time. Two flying bombs came over between here and Whitton. Percy, who was at Youth Centre, says the first one passed right over them. He was to have gone to a Class Teachers' Conference at Binningham this weekend but all these bombs have made him cancel the trip. Boulogne and Brest have fallen at last.
Thurs 21 st Sep - I wasn't somehow surprised to hear another warning at 4.10. There was thick fog and we had another flying bomb come over low enough to make the house vibrate. All-clear at 4.50.
It was still rather foggy when we got up, but I went out to do my shopping. I was just going down Museum Street when the siren went again at 10.50. I made for the wide open spaces though people were clustering round the air-raid shelters, and had almost reached the Park when the all-clear went at 11.56. Percy was at home tonight so Gillian was able to sleep in her own bed for once. All the same I felt rather worried when Percy went out to check gas-masks but all is well so far.
Wed 27'h Sep - Tonight came the news that our airborne forces have been withdrawn from Arnhem. I knew something dreadful had happened though they have kept it as dark as possible. Only 2000 out of 8000 got away. We had to leave all the wounded. It is a major defeat I'm afraid.
Fri 29th Sep - The news is pessimistic and nobody talks now about an early end to the war.
Wed 11th Oct - Unbelievably we had no warnings all night. You feel quite different after an unbroken night.
While I was bathing Roger there was a warning with a crash. Later while Percy was at Youth Centre there was another. One doodle came over the town. Just as he got home there was another from 9.20 to 9.46 with no crash. The sky is now clear so we are sleeping in the shelter.
Thurs 12th Oct - Sure enough there was another warning from 2.33 to 2.43 and though nothing happened then there was a terrific explosion about 20 minutes later. The rocket I heard yesterday came down in the Rushmere direction - uncomfortably close.
Fri 13th Oct - Wednesday's rocket actually came down between two stacks at Playford and made a crater 40 ft deep and 50 ft wide.
This evening which was wild and wet early on became fine later and we had a warning from 9.30 to 10.2. Percy had only just got in from Youth Centre and had to go straight on duty. It did seem hard. Anyhow, it settles where I am to sleep tonight.
Sat 14th Oct - Percy had to get up again from 3.18 to 4.2. Wasn't I glad we were already in the shelter?
Thurs 19th Oct - We weren't properly in bed when the siren went at 11.14. All-clear at 11.47. There was another warning from 4.31 to 5.30. During both there were sundry loud bangs but it was a surprise to us to learn that during the first warning a flying bomb came down on the Nacton Estate, killing 3 people and seriously injuring 6.
Sat 21st Oct - We had a peaceful evening listening to the wireless and a warning from 11.2 to 11.27 just as we were going to bed. The barrage seems to get heavier every night.
Sun 29th Oct - We were awakened at 5.10 by the siren. It was raining in torrents. Before Percy had got on duty the barrage started up and there was a heavy explosion which blew the dining room door open.
Thurs 2nd Nov - Mr Hill rang up to tell Percy that he had been appointed Supervisor of the Eastern Youth Centre as from Dec. 1 st so now I suppose the car will come out after two years' disuse.
Fri 10th Nov - Tonight the siren went at 7.28 and for a time nothing happened. Then at 7.50 came a terrific bump and the cuckoo simultaneously. I thought it must be on the town but nobody seems to know where. After that there was a terrific barrage and my father, who rang up to hear about Roger, says they shot down ten.
Mr Churchill made the first announcement today about V2s although they have been coming over for weeks.
Tues 14th Nov - Sonnie and family came to tea and got caught by the siren. Vi and Joan were scared stiff especially when a doodle came in over Whitton and it didn't need much to persuade them into the shelter with the kids.
Sat 18th Nov - Percy went to a County Meeting and wasn't home till 2.35 having been scouring the town for baby powder. He brought back 3 tins. How he does it I don't know.
Tues 21 st Nov - Percy has a terrific boil on the back of his neck and Gillian has one on her knee. I had to spend a large part of the evening attending to them. Percy is really quite ill. He has been doing far too much lately.
Thurs 23rd Nov - Gillian's boil broke tonight but I don't seem to get any further with Percy's. He looks terribly ill.
Sun 26th Nov - The doctor came after we had given him up and says that Percy's boil is doing nicely but that he is not to go to school for two days. It will do him good to have a holiday.
Wed 29th Nov - For once it was a fine day and I got on very well, even to putting the almond icing (synthetic - made with soya flour) on my Christmas cake. My mother arrived during the afternoon bringing some herrings which we enjoyed very much. We have had no fish for weeks.
Thurs 14th Dec - I had to go shopping but had a rather disappointing time as I simply cannot stand in a queue for long (pregnant) so I couldn't get the kids chocolate biscuits and dates.
Sun 17th Dec - At 2.30 this him I forgot my own symptoms till dinner time when the pains became unmistakable. So took the children to Ranelagh Road and I reached the Nursing Home at 3.15. Christ Lascelles arrived at 4.50 with very little inconvenience and before Dr Stansfield got there - weight 6 lbs. I had an anaesthetic for the stitches.
Mon 18th Dec - In spite of the fact that they removed the infant I couldn't sleep. We had three sirens. Lots of doodles went past during the first warning, but they just ignore them and carry on with their work.
Mon 25th Dec - Although I had the best night's sleep since I came here I woke with splitting headache. Father Christmas, with a voice remarkably like Sister Hitchcock came in after breakfast with a sack of presents. I got a bottle of ink.

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